To Love a Beast
by Hanyou-Foxgirl
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a mansion beyond a forest that no one had ever stepped foot into. Inside the mansion lived a horrible monster, or so the stories go. But monsters, cannot feel. Monsters cannot love. Sess/Rin AU
1. Once Upon A Time

Pairings: Sesshomaru/Rin

Pairings: Sesshomaru/Rin

Genre: Romance/Angst

Foxgirl: I'm back! Again! This is my first Sess/Rin fic, so try to go easy on me, k? Sorry if fluffy is a bit OOC, I'm just trying to progress the story line here. This story really shouldn't exist, however, as I promised myself that I wouldn't try writing two fanfictions at once again... sigh. Curse me and my random storylines! Oh! And the bit in italics at the beginning of the story... well... you'll figure it out. Title is questionable, so if anyone thinks of something better just leave it in a review, mk? And if you find any grammatical errors, kindly point them out to me. Thank you.

Vixen: I'm just here to advertise. If you like Chrono Crusade, please look at Foxgirls first chrono crusade fic, overdue. Semi-horrible writing, but the plot's decent. She hopes.

Foxgirl: You don't get to advertise anymore. Without further ado, here's the very first chappie!

--

_Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a handsome man, who's parents were very rich and powerful. However, he and the rest of his family had a dark secret. They were cursed to bear the form of demons, never to become human again unless they could break the spell. His parents forced him to stay in the manor, so that the humans in their village would never discover their secret. However the man didn't want to spend his life hiding. He escaped from his home one night, content to have just a few more hours of freedom, after that he could accept his fate with a stoic face. However, that night that he was out, the man fell in love._

**Chapter One**

A tall pale figure stood in the attic of a large mansion, overlooking a seemingly normal forest. The figure looked menacing, with wildly vivid silver-colored hair splaying about his figure. He looked out of the window as a pitch-black night descended onto the world and kissed the skies. He was definitely not human, a monster, some called him. Fangs and claws graced his features, but they had never been stained with blood.

His mansion, as he called it, was still as beautiful as it had been the day it had been built, with one exception. The foyer was horrible destroyed, remnants of the battle that had taken placae there long ago. The window in the attic was always left open, air blowing through harshly but wind that blew in the attic never left the monster feeling cold. He felt nothing, not anymore. Long ago, he lived freely in this territory, but now he was nothing more than a dark shadow watching from afar.

He knew that he should have been fine with these conditions.

He couldn't help the sinking feeling that appeared in his stomach when he thought about the past.

"... Kagura."

The whisper that came from his mouth was not that of a monster.

(A/N: Foxgirl: Okay, bear with me people. It get's better, I promise)

--

Everyone knew of the mansion behind Whisper forest. It wasn't a myth, or a legend. Plenty of people had seen its looming walls and frightening gargoyle statues. The reason why everyone was so fascinated by it was because no one had ever gone inside. The gate that sat locked at the front made sure of that. However, even before you reached the gate, there seemed to be some sort of unknown force protecting it. You couldn't go within ten feet of the gate without getting the oddest shivers down your spine and feeling a desperate urge to turn back.

Most people simply left it alone. There was no particular reason for anyone to be interested in it anyway, as the family who had once lived there died long ago.

At least, that was how the legend went.

-

"Kohaku! What are you doing? Come back!"

Rin hated wolves. She had ever since she was a little girl. Consequently, she also hated places where wolves could possibly roam. As a result, she didn't like wandering into Whisper forest without good reason. Especially in the middle of the night.

"Relax, Rin." Kohaku assured his friend, turning around and facing her. "Nothing's going to get us."

Rin crossed her arms stubbornly, standing just outside the entrance of the woods. "Kohaku I don't want to go in there! And you know that everyone says we're not supposed to anyways!" She told him, her voice sounding soft by the last word of her sentence. She hated displeasing her friends, but this was asking too much. "Please, let's just go home!"

Kohaku resisted the urge to chuckle. "Look, Rin. I'll hold your hand." He walked over to her, grabbing her hand and all the while pulling her towards the forest. "It will be fine, see?"

Rin reluctantly allowed herself to be led into the forest, clasping Kohaku's hand as tight as she could. She knew that she really shouldn't be as scared as she was. She trusted Kohaku. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. Though the sixteen year old couldn't help but feel a little reluctant. There was only a month left until summer was over, and not but an hour ago Kohaku had been standing outside her window, eagerly commanding her to follow him.

She had never expected him to bring her to the forest, with the excuse that he desperately wanted to see the fabled mansion that everyone seemed to avoid nowadays. Though the summer night was warm, she couldn't help the shivers that were crawling up her spine. It was so dark outside that the blackness seemed to engulf everything around her.

The two wandered through whisper forest, one clutching tightly to the other and one looking around in wonder. The forest certainly was beautiful, that couldn't be denied. At night, when darkness fell, it's beauty only seemed to intensify.

Just recently, Kohaku found that he had an unrelenting urge to find the mansion said to be behind Whisper Forest. He found it fascinating, that people knew so much about it and yet so little. The family who lived there died long ago. There deaths themselves, no one seemed to be sure of. The secret was what he wanted to know. Why didn't anyone ever go inside? Many had tried, yet none of them had succeeded in even stepping foot inside the gate. It was also said, that the mansion held another terrible secret. Some said that a terrible beast roamed the halls, never to be slain.

He heard a small scream behind him as Rin tripped over a root protruding out of the ground.

"You okay?" Kohaku asked, genuinely concerned as he helped her off the ground. She smiled at him, standing up with little difficulty.

"Yeah, I was just being clumsy-"

Her warm voice was cut off by the sound of growling from the underbrush. Kohaku turned his head toward the noise, suddenly beginning to walk faster.

He pulled Rin closer to him unconsciously, all the while continuing to walk, his shoes making soft crunch noises as he stepped on the leaves and twigs that had fallen from trees. They couldn't stop now.

The growling grew louder behind them and Rin shot Kohaku a terrified glance.

Wolves were scarce in the forest. There weren't many animals to begin with, so they were slowly dying out, starving to death.

Two humans would be more than sufficient to feed the last few that remained.

Rin screamed when the three wolves burst from their hiding places, chasing down her and Kohaku. The two ran as fast as their legs would carry them, but it wasn't fast enough. One of the wolves, now very close, lunged at Kohaku, attempting to sink it's teeth into the tender flesh of his calf. He cried out, throwing himself forward to avoid the attack and in doing so, bashing his head against the root of a tree.

Rin turned around, screaming.

"Kohaku!"

He was unconscious.

It was then that the wolves seemed to take notice of her. The one who had almost bitten Kohaku lapped at the fur around his toothy maw, deciding that his first prey was already as good as dead. Now he just had to finish off the girl.

Rin's eyes widened in fright and she froze. Her body refused to move.

The wolf leaped towards her and she attempted to get out of the way, throwing herself backwards. It was too late. The wolf dragged its claws across her torso, scratching her from the top of her rib cage to her navel. The wound wasn't very deep, but she could feel the blood slowly seeping out of her body. She froze, faltering.

This was it.

She was going to die here.

She couldn't help but let out one last scream of fear as the wolf lunged for the last time.

((A/N: **Foxgirl**: ... man that sucked. I've gotta learn to put more content in my first chapters... but I can't help it! I'm just so eager to get to the story line!

**Vixen:** shakes head in shame

**Foxgirl:** Oh it's not like _you've _ever tried to write anything. Stupid alter ego.))

Before the snarling animal could reach her, however, it was batted away –as if it were nothing- by a clawed hand clad in a lavishly decorated sleeve. The wolf yelped in surprise, before falling to the ground unmoving. The other wolves glanced at their fallen comrad helplessly, before cautiously backing away into the bushes, breaking out into a sprint once they were sure the danger wouldn't follow.

Rin opened her eyes wide in shock.

She had been saved.

Saved by...?

She turned to look at her savior, only to let out a sharp gasp of surprise. There was no possible way that he could be human. His features were too unearthly, and to some he could be seen as immensely horrifying. (A/N: I'm trying to continue with the beast theme here, even though everyone _knows _that fluffy is smexier than... well, everyone. Except for maybe big Chrono. I can never decide between the two... /sigh/ but you know whatever. On with the tale!)

However, Rin only saw tragic beauty.

He was wearing regal clothing, as if he were of high standing. Though he looked centuries out of date for the time period they came from. Long silver hair grew out of his skull in velvet waterfalls, cascading down his back and ending at mid-thigh. He bore the mark of a crescent moon in the middle of his fore head, colored in a dark purple. Lighter, magenta colored stripes rested upon his well-defined cheekbones, two streaks of color on each of his side, perfectly parallel with the other, beginning just in front of his ears and ending well before they reached his nose.

His eyes were what she found herself staring at the most, however. They were a deep amber color, almost golden in hue. She noticed that the intoxicating orbs seemed to be staring right at her.

"Kagura..." He whispered softly, taking a step towards her. She looked up at him curiously.

Who was this Kagura person?

Rin blinked slowly and when she looked for him again he was standing right in front of her, a small smile on his face.

She blanched, almost screaming and attempting to take a step back from this obviously delirious immortal... thing. She winced as she tried to move, the wound on her stomach making itself known. How was she going to explain _this_ to her parents?

However she found her retreat blocked as the demon wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close. The other hand he placed gently under her chin, lifting her head up to meet his awaiting eyes.

"You have returned."

His voice was smooth, it's tones running over her ears like soft velvet. Rin couldn't help but blushing profusely. They had just met and he made it sound like he had known her for years! Rin had to admit she was scared. He didn't appear to want to hurt her but... he _was _a demon. Or something like that. Honestly, she had never even thought that demons existed.

"I've... missed you."

The raven- haired girl shook her head. This had to stop. She was probably bleeding all over her shirt, and she didn't even know this guy. She placed her hands to his chest to push him away. She felt very week.

Just as she opened her mouth to tell this strange demon that she wasn't who he thought she was, he slammed his mouth against hers, effectively silencing her. Rin stood there for a moment, before gasping softly as he began to roll his lips against her unmoving ones, attempting to earn a response.

Then she suddenly snapped out of the dazed state he seemed to have put her in. She pushed out of the demon's grasp, falling to the ground once he released her.

"What are you doing!" She shouted at him, lightly placing a hand over her mouth.

Had he really just kissed her?

The man stared at her blankly, before something seemed to register in his mind. He looked at the ground, before looking away for a moment.

"I was... mistaken." He said. Usually, in such situation, a person would be embarrassed or flustered or upset; this being simply seemed rather stoic. Though, Rin was _sure_ she could see a faint tint of a blush on his cheeks.

"You are not Kagura." The creature spoke again, this time facing her. His eyes narrowed a fraction and he pursed his lips almost imperceptibly. "Then why have you come to _my_ forest?" He asked her coldly. His voice that had once seemed so pleasant now sounded harsh and cold. She simply looked up at him stupidly, unsure of how to respond. Who was this creature? Why did he claim to own the forest and why was he dressed so strangely? Suddenly she doubled over in pain, the feeling beginning to come in waves over her body. She bit her lip while she waited for the worst to subside.

"You are... hurt."

She looked up at him, her eyes almost watering from the feeling. It was too much. Why hadn't it hurt this much before? Probably because she had been distracted by... other things. Her eyelashes lowered slowly, before she found herself blanking out, an even blacker dark than the night descending behind her lids.

She fell over, motionless. The last thing she heard before the blacked out completely were soft footsteps nearing her.

--

Foxgirl: How was it? Should I continue? And no, Rin is not Kagura's reincarnation or anything. It's just been years since fluffy saw another human and he saw black hair and thought, Kagura! ...You'll understand why he kissed her later. I thought of this idea and was like... YES! So yeah. Overdue is probably going to be at the bottom of my priorities list, but I've already written the third chapter so I'll just post it when I have time. I hoped you liked it! And if you did... and if you did... Vixen! That's your cue!

Vixen: Hm? What? Oh! Uh, review please! They fill her with joy or some stupid crap like that.

Foxgirl: sigh


	2. Thunderstorms

Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

**Foreveralone16**: Thank you so much! I'm happy that you like it, and I am continuing! I'll try to update whenever I get the chance, however, with school having started... I've been having... homework. I know, it's terrible. --

**Skeeter: **Thank you! Actually, I'm sort of wondering myself where this is gonna go... U

**SweetAyu: **I'm glad that you like it so far. I hope that you continue to enjoy it!

Oh! And the stuff in italics has nothing to do with Sesshomaru and Rin, in case you were wondering. And they go in succession so this is continuing from the bit in chapter one.

Foxgirl: Well, thank you to those who reviewed for the first chapter! Without further ado, here is chappie two!

_He found a human girl, lost in the forest that surrounded his mansion. He called out to her, not even thinking of the consequences. The human was frightened, however she did not run away. She knew that she had to make sure that this monster was not dangerous to her village. The demon said that he would tell her how to get out of the forest, if she only but did him one favor. He asked her this question, hoping she wouldn't refuse,_

(A/N: And you'll find out what the question is later. Ooh! Scary cliffhanger!)

Rin awoke to the feeling of something warm running over her stomach. Her eyes fluttered open slowly and the odd sensation stopped. She heard the faint sound of rustling fabric and she shivered slightly. There were goosebumps running up and down her skin. She was freezing, and she seemed to be sopping wet.

She was slightly confused.

Last time she remembered, she had passed out on the forest floor. Now, she was sitting on a couch, in some sort of building, she assumed. Her hair was dripping a steady stream of water onto the sofa's pillows. She sat up, looking around at the place she was now. It looked like a large living room. Her small form was lying on a comfortable sofa draped in soft fabrics colored red. The carpet was a pure white color, with a few small drops of crimson right beside the couch. She placed her hand on her stomach.

That must have been the blood from her wound...

Her hand ran over the area, feeling for the marks.

She could find nothing.

She gasped in surprise, looking down at where the scratches should have been. There was nothing there. Her shirt, however, was bunched up to just underneath her bra. She pulled it down quickly with a little difficulty, looking for who was responsible. The man from the forest was standing beside the couch, with what she guessed was mild amusement in his eyes. He was wet as well, his silver hair plastered to his forehead.

"H-How... did you...? Did you do this? How?" She asked him, slightly in awe. This _demon_ had healed her...

Weren't they supposed to be _evil_ or something?

"How I healed your wounds is nothing you should be concerned with." He spoke in the same cold tone, his voice a smooth stream of sounds. He wasn't looking at her as he spoke.

She looked around the room once more, a little suspicious of his answer. "W-Where are we?"

The room itself was huge. The double doors that most likely led to another room were lavishly decorated with beautiful symbols and designs.

"This is my home. I brought you here to make sure your injury could be taken care of." He informed her, still standing. She crinkled her brow.

"But why? I don't even know who you are..." Her sentence trailed off and she looked at him curiously. "Say, what's your name anyway?"

His left eyebrow raised slightly as he studied her. "My name," He started, almost seeming unsure of whether he should continue. Which was odd, seeing as this man didn't seem to ever be _unsure_ of _anything_. "Is Sesshomaru. You, human, may call me Lord Sesshomaru."

Rin mulled his name over in her head while small rivulets of water ran down from her hair, running over her face. "Why are we drenched?" She asked him, moving the wet hair out of her line of vision.

"It began raining shortly after I started carrying you to my castle." He informed her brushing a wet strand of hair off of his face.

"Ah. Must have been raining pretty hard." She mumbled to herself. Then, she stood, shaking what she could of the rain out of her hair. "Well thank you... Lord Sesshomaru, but I think I'll be on my way now. I have to find Kohaku... er, the guy I was with." She began to walk towards what she figured was the door, but was stopped when Sesshomaru placed himself between her and her destination.

"I cannot allow you to do that. If you wander in the woods alone again, you will most likely be attacked by the lingering wolves."

Rin backed away from him slightly, unsure whether he was being hostile or not. Sesshomaru continued, ignoring her retreat.

" Your friend woke as I was leaving with you. He ran off before I could explain the circumstances."

Rin groaned, placing a hand on her forehead in exasperation. "Oh god... he's probably thinks that you were planning on eating me or something..." She muttered, closing her eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru I _have_ to get home." Suddenly she thought of something and placed her eyes on his form suspiciously. "Your... your not planning on... on keeping me here, are you?"

He raised one eyebrow slightly -that seemed to be a quirk of his- before answering. "I assure you that I would gain nothing in keeping you here with me. However, I must implore you to stay this night. You may leave in the morning if you wish. I will accompany you to the end of the forest."

"But Sessho- er- Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin begged, almost whining. "Can't you 'accompany' me now?"

He held back a scoff, his amber eyes focusing on her intently. "I do _not_ like the rain. I would rather not go out in that storm again." Sesshomaru paused for a moment before adding, "I will not force you to stay. If you wish, leave now. However I cannot guarentee your safety."

Rin frowned, looking at the floor. If she did leave now, she would most likely be killed. But if she stayed here...

How could she know for sure if this man could be trusted?

"Personally I don't care what you do. But please make your decision _quickly_ so that I can get out of these wet clothes."

Rin looked up at the demon, blushing faintly. He looked slightly annoyed, still waiting for her choice.

"Er... thank you for your hospitality. I'd like to stay here for the night, thank you." She said quickly, smiling brightly. Most times if you were friendly to people they showed a little friendliness themselves.

"As you wish. I will show you where you will be staying."

Sesshomaru walked off, expecting her to follow. Rin stared at his back, dumbfounded. Was this guy ever happy? She saw his silver hair disappear around the corner, and blanched, running to catch up.

It turned out that his 'home' was bigger than she had originally imagined. It was gigantic, standing three stories up. The foyer was huge with an enormous crystalline chandelier dangling over everything. There were two staircases decorated with lavish golden carpets and Rin followed Sesshomaru up the left one, watching him as he walked. The way it seemed... he lived here all by himself.

This _had_ to be the mansion behind the forest.

And if that was true then...

He had to be the monster rumored to live in the mansion.

She cocked her head to the side, deep in thought. He didn't seem like... a monster. Sure, he was scary and had some odd features, but really those were his only differences.

She stuck her tongue out in concentration. 'But maybe there's more...' She thought to herself. 'Maybe he has some sort of amazing super powers!'

She looked to the left as they reached the top of the stairs, beginning to walk down a long corridor. Paintings adorned the walls, all of them portraits of people.

Before she had time to study any of them, Sesshomaru stopped, causing her to run into his unmoving form because she wasn't paying attention. She fell, wincing slightly. He turned around, quirking his eyebrow in question.

"Um... sorry..." She said, smiling sheepishly.

He opened the door he was standing in front of, before standing aside to allow her to enter. Rin took the hint, walking through the door way and looking around.

The room was huge. The walls were painted black and gold and there was a large window overlooking the forest on the wall by the bed. Rin stared around in awe, her eyebrows lifting up slightly. "This is beautiful..." She whispered, unsure of what to do.

"Am... am _I_ supposed to sleep here?"

Sesshomaru looked over at her, his expression stoic. "Is this not to your liking?"

"No no! I mean, yes! I mean, it's a wonderful room! I just didn't think I'd be staying somewhere so... big." She explained, looking around again.

"I see." He stated. Then Sesshomaru began to walk out the door, leaving her to her own devices. "The bathroom is through that door across from the bed. Feel free to wear anything in the drawers." He told her without looking back.

Then he disappeared from sight. Rin looked at where he had just been standing, then back to the bathroom door.

"This is... weird." She mumbled to herself, before walking over and closing the door quickly. She was more than a little suspicious.

This dude, who she didn't even know, was allowing her to stay in his _mansion_ for a night, and he didn't want anything in return? She shook her head as she walked to the bathroom. But what could a rich guy living in the middle of a forest want? Besides the obvious. He seemed... friendly. Sort of. In his own way.

'Actually he was kind of scary.' She mused to herself.

The bathroom was large as well, and as she turned the nozzle on the tub to hot, she found that she couldn't wait to hop in.

"That Sesshomaru guy _seems_ alright..." Rin spoke aloud, testing the water with her hand. "Even if he is a little... odd."

As soon as the temperature was to her liking she stripped down quickly and literally jumped into the water, splashing it all over the floor. She sighed in contentment, closing her eyes and beginning to relax.

That was when the thunder started.

She frowned, glancing out the bathroom door –that she had left open- where she could see clearly out of the large window. The wind appeared to be blowing harder now and the rain was hitting the pane in metronome-like drops, one after the other in succession. She sighed, sinking even lower into the water. She'd never be able to sleep tonight. No matter how fluffy the bed was. After soaking for a couple of minutes, she grabbed the soap from the side of the tub and scrubbed herself, making sure that she was clean. Then, she had a thought.

'What if...' She said to herself in her head, ceasing her cleansing for a moment. 'What if he's... watching me. Right now.'

She began to scrub faster.

After rinsing she jumped out, wrapping a towel around her slim figure and grabbing another one for her hair. She walked cautiously into the room, making sure she was alone before sitting down on the bed and attempting to towel off her hair. She looked over at the dresser by the window.

Sesshomaru had said that she could wear anything but... would that be rude?

She decided to just take a quick peek inside the drawers, keeping the towel around her body. Tentatively she worked her way over to the dresser, still not quite sure that she should be imposing like this. She kneeled down and slid open the bottom drawer carefully. Her eyes widened slightly. Everything in here looked so... delicate. There were long gowns, and beautiful dresses... all looked like they were fit for a princess. These were _obviously _not Sesshomaru's.

She paused for a minute to imagine him in a dress, his eyes looking at it with great distaste. She chuckled slightly to herself before resuming her train of thought.

Where they his wife's? A sister? An extremely feminine brother? She shook her head, placing everything back in the drawers. Whoever they belonged to, they looked much too... well... expensive. She didn't want to get the dresses dirty or something... and she probably wouldn't look good in any of the clothes anyway.

But her jeans and t-shirt were completely soaked...

She bit her lip, before weakening and pulling the plainest thing she could find out of the drawers. It was a long nightgown, made of black silk. Smiling to herself, she looked out the window when a loud noise reached her ears before groaning. It was still thundering. She had forgotten all about the storm. Sighing she stared at the bed she was to be sleeping in. It was a king size, the comforter golden strips of silk over black. She grinned, taking a running start before throwing herself on the bed, sighing as she sunk into the covers slightly. She could hear the thunder cracking behind her.

Rin sat up, an idea popping into her head. She looked around, before smiling devilishly. Since Lord Sesshomaru was so kind as to give her this lovely room, why not reap the benefits. Surely the lord wouldn't mind if she had a little fun...

With the same devious smile on her face, she stood on the bed, testing the bounce.

It was perfect.

Grinning once more she took a practice jump, before leaping and bouncing off of the wonderfully springy bed, going higher with each bound. She giggled, before beginning to laugh loudly, ignoring the cracks of thunder in the distance. Suddenly she lost her footing and she screamed, before falling to the floor, laughing the whole way.

She was definitely slap happy. She was on the floor for not more than a few seconds before the door was opened and Sesshomaru stood in the doorway, his long silver hair thrown carelessly over one shoulder.

"Why did you scream?"

Rin blinked twice before giggling and standing up, brushing imaginary dust off of the gown she was wearing.

"I was just er... jumping on the bed and I fell..."

Sesshomaru looked at her with an incredulous look in his eyes, tinted with curiosity. Rin wasn't sure what to do. She hadn't expected to see him in here again...

"Er... would you like to join me?"

That question sounded stupid even to her. He really didn't seem like the type of person who jumped on the bed... he made a noise in the back of his throat before shaking his head.

"No thank you." He told her, beginning to walk back out of the doorway. "Carry on." He left, closing the door behind him. Rin sat on the bed dumbfounded, blushing slightly.

Perhaps jumping on the bed wasn't such a good idea after all.

Foxgirl: I know what you're thinking... did that last part have a point? In addition, the answer is yes! ... Maybe. I don't know. I haven't decided yet... sorry about how... well... boring, this chapter was. It was more of a filler chapter than anything, I think, but any who, hope you enjoyed and...

Vixen: yawn review please.

Foxgirl: The next chapter will be where things get interesting. ... Maybe. Or the one after that. ... Maybe. U


	3. The Portrait

**Chapter Three**

"_Will you come back tomorrow?"  


* * *

R_in awoke to sunlight streaming in through the large window to her left. She yawned, fisting her hands and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was in Lord Sesshomaru's castle, she remembered, though she found it odd that she had to call him 'Lord Sesshomaru'. Sighing she climbed out of the large bed, leaving the sheets as they were. She opened her door and peaked her head out, looking both ways down the corridor.

Now would be the perfect time to explore. She had been dying to see just how big this mansion really was.

She carefully tiptoed out of the room and closed the door gently. Grinning, she turned, only be come face to chest with the demon lord himself.

"Oh! Lord Sesshomaru!" She gasped, taking a step away from him. He looked at her suspiciously. She studied his features, attempting to find out what he was feeling, or his thoughts, or something. She found that she couldn't. There seemed to be some sort of mask that he continually kept his true face hidden with. An unbreakable one. This was highly unnerving.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her, emotionless amber orbs regarding her curiously. She shook her head, not too eager to find out what demons ate.

"No thank you." She said politely. Suddenly her stomach gurgled loudly and he raised a fine, silver eyebrow.

"I do not eat raw meat, if that is what you are worried about."

Rin looked at him, pouting slightly. She didn't see how he could do that, read her mind without even trying. She sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Fine, I'll have something to eat." He nodded slightly, turning and beckoning her to follow. She began walking behind him, studying his back. He was very... different, than what she had heard demons were like. He hadn't tried to kill her, or eat her and he had even let her stay the night and offered to escort her to the edge of the forest. He had to be centuries old. The clothes that he was wearing looked foreign, as well. He was wearing a white haori with almost purple-colored designs on them. A yellow obi was tied around his waist and loose fitting pants billowed down to his ankles, where the legs of the bottoms gathered around black boots. She looked down to the designs of his pants, intrigued by their wonderful pattern. The gentle colors snaked up his leg, ending at about his knee, but Rin didn't let her trek stop there. She allowed her line of vision to move upward, stopping once it reached his backside. The pants were hanging off of him in a way that seemed to emphasize his rear, and the way he walked didn't exactly help. He had this way of sauntering, moving his hips from side to side just slightly without even seeming to realize it. Rin bit her lip subconsciously before noticing that Sesshomaru had stopped walking. He turned and she quickly let her eyes land elsewhere, blushing faintly.

"This was a gift from a lord from a foreign land." He stated, noticing her intense gaze on his clothing. "Do you... like it?" He questioned, curious as to why she had been staring.

Rin was caught of guard by his last question, catching his eyes and shaking her head nervously. "Erm... yes." She stuttered, looking everywhere but at his body. He quirked an eyebrow slightly, before turning and opening the door he was standing in front of. Rin had been so preoccupied with her studies that she had failed to notice that they had reached their destination.

"This is the dining hall." He told her stoically, stepping aside to allow her entry first. Rin walked inside, gasping in awe at the sight that surrounded her. The dining hall was enormous. Another chandelier hung over the table, and the table itself stretched almost the length of the room. The chairs were black, ornate seats that seemed more for decoration than to actually sit in. Idly Rin noticed two seats by the head of the table with twin bowls of soup and some unidentifiable drink. She eagerly took her seat, grinning as the demon lord sat beside her.

"Thanks." She told him, picking up her spoon. "I really was hungry."

"Hn." Was all he said (well, voiced) before he gracefully held his spoon as well, dipping in his soup before bringing it to his lips and looking at her expectantly. She took some soup as well, eagerly placing it in her mouth and allowing the liquid to fill her mouth with its taste. Her eyes lit up and she promptly put her spoon down, opting to slurp the soup noisily from her bowl instead. The taste was delicious, slightly tangy with faint undertones of salt. Once she had finished her bowl, she looked over to Sesshomaru, blushing faintly when she realized how she had been eating.

Sesshomaru had the glass in his hands, and was taking a small sip, his lips touching the glass delicately, clawed hands holding his cup daintily. She scowled slightly, noticing how everything the lord did seemed to look graceful. He caught her gaze, noticing her stare and she blanched, looking away quickly.

"I'm –er- done." She told him, wiping her face with the napkin beside her bowl. He nodded, standing up and pushing his chair in. "I'm Rin, by the way." She added, noticing that she had never told him her name. She'd spent the night and eaten dinner with him, and he had no idea who she was.

"...Rin." He repeated, as if testing it on his lips.

"Hey, Lord Sesshomaru..." She spoke nervously, twiddling her thumbs. "I was wondering if you could... give me a tour of your home?" Rin looked up at him, pleading her case with the best puppy dogface she could muster. Sesshomaru didn't appear to be paying attention.

"As you wish." He said simply. He turned to face her, brushing a lone strand of silver hair out of his face. "What would you like to see"

Rin put a hand on her chin in thought, looking around the huge house that she was in. "Maybe... do you have a library?"

He nodded, before starting off once more, though this time seemed to be at a much more leisurely pace. As they walked further to the front of the house, Rin began to notice large patches of carpet missing here and there, or pieces of furniture that were wrecked completely. Soon they were walking through a room that was a complete disaster. Pieces of wood were strewn everywhere and the place just seemed to have an eerie, cold feeling about it. There were discolored stains everywhere she looked, and though she couldn't be for sure what they were, she could take a pretty good guess.

Had Sesshomaru done this?

No... he couldn't have done all this. Not by himself, anyways. Time seemed to stop here, she noticed. It was so much different from the rest of the mansion, which upheld a warm atmosphere, despite how cold it's resident was.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin began, her eyes widening as she saw even more destruction. "How... what... what happened here?"

Sesshomaru continued walking, seeming to ignore the scene before him. "That is none of your concern." His voice seemed harsher than usual and she frowned, taking in the sight. What had happened here?

They continued to walk on, in silence before Sesshomaru stopped in front of two large wooden doors.

"This is the library." He spoke, opening the door for her. They went inside and the carnage of the previous room was forgotten as she stared at the enormous supply of books that were stored in this room. The library was two stories high. There was an enormous staircase leading to the upper level, where there were bookshelves stacked as high as the ceiling covering the whole wall. On the lower floor, there were two rows of bookshelves on either side of the stairs, each of them filled to the overflowing point of books.

"Wow..." She breathed, walking over to one and touching the spine of a book. "Where did you get all these?"

He walked over to a large chair as she browsed, sitting down in one fluid motion and crossing his legs. "They've... accumulated, over the years." He said, an amused look in his eyes. Rin nodded, looking through the shelves and finding several that looked interesting. She grabbed one, opening the cover and flipping through the pages. They were slightly worn, but other than that in excellent condition, for a mansion that was so old. She walked up the stairs, letting her hand run over the beautiful banister as she walked. There were ladders, she noticed, to reach the top shelf, most likely. Everything was so wonderfully decorated, lavish colors of red's and shining gold painted the walls. She found herself wondering who had lived here with the demon lord before. Surely he couldn't have been here by himself for forever...

Rin walked over to the large window on one of the walls and looked down, smiling. The glass overlooked a large garden on the side of the mansion with too many wonderful flowers and colors to count. There were several plush chairs to sit in, as there had been on the lower level. Once she was finished exploring, Rin started back down the stairs, opening the cover of the book she had picked out again, and reading the first paragraph.

She stopped, sitting on the bottom stair, finding the novel enticing. Looking up suddenly she frowned, realizing that she didn't have time to read the whole book. Going back over to the shelf she had found it she hesitated, debating on whether to mark her page or not. She probably wouldn't ever be coming back to this fantastical (yes, I said fantastical. Deal with it. -) place.

"You may take one with you, if you would like." He told her, snapping her out of her reverie. She looked at him curiously. His expression was normal, cold, as usual. Though she was _positive_ that there was a glimmer of kindness shining behind his eyes.

Grinning, she held the book to her chest.

"Really?" She asked, looking at the enormous supply of reading material. "I wish I could have a chance to look through _all_ of these..." She muttered under her breath. Deciding that she had seen enough of the library at the moment, she spoke again, heading towards the exit, "Alright, lets go somewhere else." She said out loud, beginning to walk out the door. She grabbed the handle, and although Sesshomaru had been far away from the door when she reached it, when she turned he was right behind her. She puffed her cheeks out, pouting slightly.

"No fair..." She grumbled.

They continued their tour, Sesshomaru leading the way as Rin followed him, still in slight awe about how huge the place was. "Where would you like to see next?" He asked her, looking down to her face because of the difference in height.

"Actually..." She said, blushing slightly. "I wanted to see your room. I figured if my room was that big then the master bedroom would be huge..." She trailed off; hugging the book, she carried closer to her chest.

"As you wish."

He sauntered off again, this time back to the hall where she had slept the previous night. Rin paid extra attention to the portraits lining the walls, knowing she probably wouldn't get the opportunity to again. The first one was of a beautiful woman with extremely long black hair and large brown eyes. She was wearing the most beautiful dress, wrapped in tantalizing hues of blue's and pinks. Rin found herself almost envying her bright features, big eyes and long lashes. The next picture showed a young man, with raven-colored hair as well, that reached down to the small of his back. He bore a cocky grin and was wearing simple clothing, in a red color. He was handsome, Rin noticed, smiling slightly. The picture after that was of a man, who bore some resemblance to the previous picture. He had the most wonderful light brown eyes, bearing a smile similar to the picture before him as well. Long, tawny- colored hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.

Once they passed that portrait and reached the next one she almost tripped over her own feet and choked at the same time. This painting... it couldn't be, could it?

It was... Sesshomaru.

He looked slightly... warmer, than he did now. His markings were gone and his hair wasn't the lustrous silver color, instead that same tawny hue of the man before him. His features were just as perfect though, she noticed. However, there was something off, about the Sesshomaru in the portrait. It seemed unlike the normal face she saw.

That's when she noticed the difference.

He was smiling.

"We are here." Sesshomaru told her, making her look in his direction. There was one last picture hanging on the wall, but she disregarded it, opting instead to open the door to the demon lord's room cautiously.

His room was painted lavishly, white and indigo. The sheets that adorned his bed were this color as well, and the nightstand that rested next to it was a cold black, as was every other piece of furniture in the room. However, the room _was_ big. It didn't disappoint and Rin found herself staring at it in wonder, painting's temporarily forgotten.

"I just can't believe that in this _whole_ house only one person lives here." She grumbled to herself. "And he doesn't even jump on the bed!" She turned only to find Sesshomaru regarding her curiously, his eyebrow quirked, again.

She blushed slightly, walking further in to his living space. He had a drawers off to the left, she noticed. Everything in his room was in order. It was hard to believe that someone actually slept here. There was a small bookshelf in his room as well, right next to his bed. Rin found herself unconsciously drawn to the fluffy-looking sheets, running her hands over them gently. They were so... soft. Grinning she sat down reveling in the feeling of her small form sinking into the mattress gently.

'This must be heavenly to sleep on.' She thought to herself while grinning. She looked over to the demon lord, wondering what he was doing while she looked around. He was standing next to the door, leaning against the frame slightly, his head turned in the direction of his window.

"Thank you for showing me your room." She said politely, standing up. She walked over to the door, turning her head back and looking at his _extremely_ comfortable bed enviously. On the inside she was just _itching_ to run back in and throw herself on it.

"I will show you the ballroom now." He informed her, starting off once more. He appeared to be enjoying the little tour as much as she was. Though she couldn't really tell. He was very hard to read.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin started, walking beside him. Being in the hallway again reminded her of the portraits, and a question that she wanted to ask him. "Is that... is that you? In the picture?"

She thought she saw his amber colored orbs flicker to the wall, but if could have been her imagination. He hesitated for a moment, before answering her question as if the delay had not been apparent.

"No."

And the conversation ended.

She sighed, slightly disappointed. She could have sworn that that was him...

Shaking her head, Rin continued to follow the demon lord, eager to see the rest of his mansion. If they looked at everything, it would probably end up taking all day.

And Rin was fine with that.

* * *

Rin was not fine with that, she found.

The two had been in the middle of looking at the extra rooms when Rin realized that her parents and Kohaku still thought she was dead.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please take me home right now!"

Rin was feeling antsy as they walked to the door, wishing that he would go faster (she knew that he could). Once they reached the huge double doors that meant freedom, she yanked them open, running out before looking back for Sesshomaru. He was behind her, waiting for her to continue as he inadvertently tossed the hair that was bothering him over his shoulder. Rin giggled slightly, earning a questionable glance from the demon, but nothing more.

"Follow me." He said, beginning to walk for the tree line. She nodded, figuring that it would be pointless of her to ask him to go faster. Once they reached where the trees began, things immediately began to get slightly awkward. Why wouldn't it be, just walking around with someone you hardly knew? She decided to lighten the mood a little bit. Or at least try.

"I spy with my little eye... something... green." She said, before realizing that everything in the forest was green and frowning. "No, I take it back. Something... yellow." She smirked, confident that he would never guess what it was.

There came no response from the demon and she looked up at him curiously. Perhaps he didn't know how to play? On the other hand, maybe he was just ignoring her. He didn't really seem to be the type to play I spy. But who _didn't_ play that game? It was like, universal! She frowned. Stupid demons with their stupid arrogant rules and their stupid-

"My obi."

Rin looked at him surprised. He had actually said something. "Er... yes."

There was more silence and she realized that her attempt at entertaining them had failed. Therefore, she decided to try again. Keyword here being, 'try.'

"Would you rather burn to death, or freeze to death?"

"Burn." There was a tentative pause, as if he was making a decision, and then, "Would you rather die alone or die young?"

She blinked, staring at the cold-hearted demon in surprise. She really hadn't expected that to work. "Er... young. Okay, new game." She decided. It would appear that there was more to the seemingly cold-hearted demon lord than what he let on. She started a new game and to her absolute pleasure Sesshomaru responded, though whether he was simply patronizing her or actually having fun, she wasn't sure. The walk went on like that, with Rin continuously thinking of new things for them to do, and Sesshomaru going along with it.

Nevertheless, after he beat her three times in the alphabet game she decided to give up, not wanting her pride to get hurt any more than it already was.

"You're to damn smart for your own good." She mumbled, crossing her arms childishly.

For a moment, she thought that she saw some semblance of a smile on his face...

But that was probably her imagination.

All to soon it seemed, they had reached the edge of the forest and she faltered once she saw the outline of her neighborhood in the distance. She looked back at Sesshomaru nervously.

"Well... this is goodbye, I guess." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Indeed."

"Thanks again." She told him, turning away, slightly disappointed. She clutched the book tightly in her hands, finding the emotion of sadness surprising. She found herself... curious. She wanted to know about the paintings, and the room in the mansion that was destroyed. She wanted to know how he came to live in that place, and why that portrait had looked so similar to him. And she had really wanted to see the entire mansion; she was determined and dead-set on jumping on his amazingly large bed.

And for some reason that she couldn't fathom...

She wanted to see him again.

"Rin." He said, causing her to turn around and look back at him, a faint glimmer of hope building in her chest.

"Yeah?" She asked, attempting to quirk an eyebrow in imitation of him.

"I will be expecting that book back." He told her, giving her a knowing stare. Her mind went blank, before processing his words. She looked down at the book; Then back at him, realizing what he was implying.

"Oh!" She said, her face lighting up. "Yes! Of course!" She turned around again before she embarrassed herself and continued walking home, the smile staying on her face. She looked over her shoulder once, to get one last glance of the demon lord.

But he was already gone.

* * *

foxgirl: sorry about that really long, boring chapter with seemingly no point. Gah! I hate fillers... but there were tiny important details in there. Well, there it goes. Hope you enjoyed!

Vixen: review please.


	4. The Kiss

**Chapter Four**

_She agreed, albeit reluctantly and she kept her promise. From then on, every night she would get herself lost in the woods, confident that the demon would find her.  


* * *

Ri_n was half way to her house when she realized that she was still wearing the dress that she had found in the manor. That was another reason why she had to go back. But first... first she had to make sure her parents knew that she was alive. But... all she could seem to think about was her experience at the castle. She missed the demon lords company already, though that was to be expected, as Rin tended to get attached to people very quickly. She looked behind her once more, thinking briefly for a moment she saw Sesshomaru's leg hanging idly from a tree branch. As if he were sitting there and just watching her.

She stopped walking and turned all the way around, smiling knowingly when she could no longer find him. Yes, she would defiantly have to return here.

She walked down the street, all too aware of how bright the sun was in the morning. It couldn't be too early, she guessed. If she had to estimate she'd say she spent hours in that castle with Sesshomaru, looking around the rooms.

Once she reached her house she tapped in the code to the garage door, waiting for it to life enough before ducking under and walking inside.

"Mom? I'm home!" She shouted, as she cautiously opened the door to the house. Her mother was standing there, in front of the door and looking at her incredulously.

"R-Rin?" She whispered, placing a hand over her mouth. "I... I thought you were dead!"

It took hours to convince her mom that: Yes, she was okay. No, she hadn't been eaten by wolves. No, she hadn't been attacked by a crazy psycho killer. No, she didn't have any wounds. Yes, she was fine. No, she wasn't traumatized.

"I was so worried!" Her mother wailed, gripping onto her daughter for dear life. Rin smiled, hugging her back and telling her that she was fine and not to worry.

After explaining the story (after making sure that she did not mention once the castle or the demon) Rin was able to get her mom to believe that she had just gotten lost in the woods. Her mom scolded her for her carelessness, and for even going into the woods in the first place and then forbid her to enter Whisper forest ever again. Rin frowned. That would be a problem. However she couldn't worry about that right now.

It took longer to convince her that the dress was hers, and she just barely avoided having to explain to her what had _really_ happened in the woods. Once her mother was convinced, and calling her father to explain what was going on. Rin darted up the stairs and into her room, threw Sesshomaru's book onto her desk and ran back downstairs.

After that tedious business was done, she walked out the door to Kohaku's house, after much convincing to her mother that she just wanted him to know she was okay. As she was walking down the street she thought about Lord Sesshomaru. He really wasn't all that bad, once you got him to say more than four words in a sentence. And no _evil_ demon would have let her borrow a book, or where this beautiful dress. Kohaku would be disappointed that it wasn't some horrible monster living in that mansion though. Once she reached Kohaku's doorstep she rang the doorbell and waited, tapping her foot impatiently.

Kohaku answered after a moment, with little more than a monotone, "Hello?" in greeting. He looked like he had been crying, she noted. She frowned, slightly, suddenly feeling quite guilty about staying at the castle for so long.

"Kohaku?" She said tentatively, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, shock and awe written all over his face.

"Rin!" He shouted, jumping towards her and enveloping her in a hug. "Rin! I thought you were dead! What happened?"

She returned his embrace, thinking about telling him the truth. He would like Sesshomaru, she thought. And he had wanted to know what was in that mansion behind the woods... "You want to come in?"

She nodded eagerly, missing the familiarity of his house. They walked to the living room and sat down on the couch, Kohaku looking strangely nervous.

"I can't stay very long, Kohaku." Rin informed him, stretching slightly. "I told my mom I'd be right back."

He nodded, twiddling his fingers. Finally he sighed and faced her, placing a hand on the back of his neck. He looked up at her, staring into her eyes. Rin was slightly taken aback at the emotion he was portraying. She had gotten so used to feelings being masked behind a stoic face she had almost forgotten how easy it was to read people.

"Er... Kohaku? What's wrong?" She asked, leaning towards him gently. She didn't want to tell him about the mansion when he was in a mood like this.

"Rin, I promised myself that if you came back, I would tell you..."

She looked at him curiously, brushing stray strands of hair behind her ears.

"Tell me what?"

He blushed, looking away before taking a breath and turning back to her.

"Rin... I've always had feelings for you."

She blanched, her eyes widening slightly.

"And I guess it took you disappearing for me to realize just how much... I love you."

He proved his point by leaning in slowly, watching her expression for any sign that she didn't feel the same. Rin was stunned, to say the least. This certainly hadn't been what she was expecting. Maybe a hug, a, "I missed you so much!" And then they would go back to how things had always been. Running around outside, watching movies during the weekends... this however, was extremely unexpected. Needless to say she was even more shocked when he kissed her.

His lips were soft and they were trembling, almost as if he was unsure of what he was doing. He pressed against her with a little more force, and she was reminded of when Sesshomaru had kissed her. Though the situations were much different. _He_ had thought she was someone else. She pulled back, holding him an arms length away and looking at him guiltily.

"Kohaku... I... I've never really thought about... I mean..." She trailed off, looking away. She brought her gaze back to his and registered the hopeless look on his face. "I mean... I've just gotta think about this, okay?"

This statement brought a little happiness to his eyes and she sighed. He gave her one more hug, before pulling back and smiling. "Well... not the response I was hoping for... but I'm just glad you're okay. I'll uh... see you later?"

She returned his grin, placing her hands on her hips. "Yeah! I'll see you later."

She walked to the door as Kohaku opened it and briskly strolled off, afraid to look behind her.

As soon as Kohaku was out of sight she turned, touching her mouth gently. That was the second time in two days that she had been kissed.

Kohaku's was different from Sesshomaru's, however. His was pleading, and he left her plenty of room to stop him. The demon lords though, was extremely demanding, and it seemed as if he were desperate for her to return his gesture.

Which one she had liked more, however, was something she decided she didn't want to think about.

Kohaku was a friend, and Lord Sesshomaru was... a stranger. Practically. She sighed, dragging her feet until she reached her house. Everything was so confusing. Kohaku... was in love with her? She ignored her mothers worried questions and told her that she needed to be alone, shuffling up the stairs and closing the door to her room.

How was she going to tell Kohaku that she didn't... like him like that? Or at least, she had thought she didn't. When he kissed her it brought upon no emotion, and no feelings other than awkwardness. She frowned, grabbing a pillow off of her bed and cuddling against it.

She needed to talk to someone.

Usually when she was confused she went to Kohaku but... in these circumstances, that might not be the best idea. Her eyes wandered over to the book she had placed on her desk. Lord Sesshomaru's book.

His face flowed into her mind, invading all it's untouched corners until he was all she could think about. She shook her head, frowning. This was no time to be thinking about things like that. Kohaku was in _love_ with her, and she had no idea what to do. She couldn't talk to her mother, and if she called Kikyo or Sango they'd probably just squeal about how cute they were. Her father wouldn't be much help either, for obvious reasons.

She sat up, staring at the book and biting her lip softly.

Maybe...

Just maybe...

She could talk with him. With Lord Sesshomaru. He was an extremely good listener, as she found out. While they had been looking around the ballroom she found that she couldn't stop talking. She loved to talk. Kohaku found her incessant chatter annoying, she knew, but Sesshomaru just seemed to listen to her, occasionally putting in his input or giving a nod to show that he was listening.

She had talked about her father, and how he worked _all _the _time_ it seemed. About last year, when she was a junior and how she would have to be looking at college application forms soon. Her and Kohaku had wanted to spend all summer together, since they didn't know if they'd be going to the same place. Everyone said that senior year went fast. All the while he listened with interest, not interrupting or stopping her. They had been about to see the study when Rin realized that she had to get home.

She brought her hand to her eyes, falling back onto her bed.

That would be stupid, going to the demon lord's castle just to talk about her relationship problems.

Though he had said that he'd be expecting his book back...

Which obviously meant that he wanted her to return, right?

Right?

She wanted to go back, that much she knew. But would he welcome her? She frowned.

Either way, it wouldn't work. Her mother wouldn't let her out of her sight for weeks now, perhaps even until school started. There was no way she'd be able to sneak out again. And it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since she had seen him last. No, she'd have to wait before she could even consider going back to the castle.

However, it was at that moment that Rin decided. Despite everything and no matter how long it took...

She had to see him again.

She fell asleep, turning to her side and holding her pillow tightly.

She dreamt of silver hair and golden eyes.

sorry about the extremely short and unsatisfying chapter. The next one will be longer, I promise. And I need a little help... what do you guys think. In the next chapter should I skip ahead to when school starts? Because that's the only time she'll be able to see him next so... yeah. Please put answers in your reviews.

Vixen: How dare Kohaku kiss Rin! She belongs to Lord Sesshomaru!!

Foxgirl: ...calm down. This is a sess/rin fic, remember?

Vixen: oh... right. /ahem/ review please.

* * *

**Foxgirl: oh! And I forgot to mention. This is probably only going to be about a ten chapter fic, so things are gonna move pretty quickly. And thank you to the people who reviewed in the last chapter! I really appreciate it, they give me inspiration!**


	5. Regret

Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

I am so so so so so sorry about the long wait. The next chapter will come quicker, and it will be much longer, I promise. Gomen!

* * *

_He loved talking to this raven-haired girl that he had found, loved just being with her. Every night, in return for safe passage home he would ask her to come back the next night. And every night she agreed.  


* * *

S_esshomaru sat in the library, flipping through a book that he had read four times before. He looked out the window, stoic expression in place. He had been doing that a lot. Perhaps he was looking for someone. He sighed, turning the page in the novel again. His amber eyes began at the top of the page, reading intently.

However he found that he could not focus.

After he read the same sentence over for the third time, he stood.

Snapping the book shut he threw it across the floor. He suddenly felt angry. Angry and disappointed and incredibly stupid.

Why had he ever assumed that... that girl would come back? Why had he thought for one moment that she would be different? Stepping gracefully down the stairs to the first floor of the library, he frowned, looking at a spot on one of the shelves that was missing a book. That happened to be his favorite. His frown deepened as he opened the door to exit the library and started out into the hall. He wandered his mansion a bit, before finding himself sauntering down the hallway that led to his room. He stopped in front of a portrait, looking at it with what appeared to be mild interest. Hesitantly, he lifted an arm up; running his clawed hand over the picture someone had painted of his face, tracing the places where his demonic markings were now.

Sometimes the pain was almost unbearable. He had been living in this mansion alone for decades, unable to die, unable to talk to anyone and do anything but wallow in his loneliness. He allowed his head to fall, and for a moment, he thought he felt the burning of tears behind his eyes. His mouth set into a frown and he looked back up, exhaling softly. Snapping out of his reverie, he drew his hand back. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the realistic painting in disgust. The longer he looked at it the more he _hated_ it. He couldn't stand to look at the only thing that stood to remind him of his past. With a snarl, he raked his claws over the portrait, ruining the beautiful face that used to be his.

Sesshomaru walked briskly down the rest of the hall, stopping at his room and throwing the door open.

If he had been human...

Maybe...

Maybe Kagura would have loved him.

* * *

Rin was avoiding Kohaku. Summer was quickly coming to a close and she just didn't know how to tell him that she didn't feel the same way about him. She hadn't seen him since the day that she had come back to the castle. Not that she was doing it on purpose, or at least that's what she told herself. In reality, she knew that it was purely intentional. She had barely spoken over the last couple of weeks, without a best friend to spew her feelings too, she really had no reason to.

The silence was killing her.

Rin sighed, looking up from her pillow and sparing a glance at her calendar. It had been three weeks. There was only one-week left until school started and Kohaku and her still weren't talking. She frowned, burrowing her face in the pillow once more. It seemed that she couldn't even _enjoy_ the last seven days before school started. The past few weeks had been _extremely_ boring. She was afraid to talk to Kohaku, and her parents wouldn't let her go _anywhere_ anymore, so the only thing left to do was sit at home. In addition, read. Rin found that the book she borrowed from Lord Sesshomaru was very interesting, and she was known to be picky about books. It was a decent sized volume - about 450 pages – and she had gotten through it in three days. Since the night she left the demon lords castle she had read it seven times.

She eyed the book from her position on the bed. Placing it in her bookshelf seemed like the best place for it to stay inconspicuous. She didn't want her mother questioning anything, after all. Sitting up slightly she stared at the novel almost sadly, wondering if she'd ever be able to see the book's owner again.

Rin groaned, forcing herself to stand and get out of bed. She had been ignoring the issue long enough.

It was time to talk to Kohaku.

She paused as she thought this. It had been three weeks since she'd seen him last. Three weeks. He probably hated her now. She bit her lip at this thought, falling back onto her bed. Curling up into a ball, she thought over her options. She could either tell Kohaku that she only liked him as a friend and get it over with, or she could keep ignoring the situation until school started and she was forced to confront it.

Breathing deeply, she made a decision.

Rin threw on a clean pair of jeans and a hoody over her shirt, brushed her teeth and ran down the stairs.

"I'm going to see Kohaku mom!" She shouted. Her mother stopped her at the door, grabbing her arm.

"Rin..." Her mother said hesitantly. Rin rolled her eyes, gently pulling her arm out of her mothers grasp.

"I'll be fine. I'm just going to Kohaku's."

Sighing, her mother silently agreed, shuffling away from the door to go back to what she was going. Less than eager to reach her destination, Rin walked down the street, still trying to convince herself to turn around. Her shoes made subtle noises as they hit the pavement. The wind blew in her direction slightly, cooling her as her breathing quickened when his house came into sight.

Once she reached it, she wasn't sure what she was going to say.

'Gee, your feelings kinda creep me out, but can we still be friends?'

That probably wouldn't do it.

Sighing she ran a hand through her hair, stomping her foot angrily.

Forcing herself to keep walking she jumped up his porch, placing her fist in the position to knock. Why was this so hard? She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but not talking to him was probably hurting him just as badly. Biting her lip, she hesitantly knocked once, twice, then took a step back and waited.

After what seemed like an eternity the door opened, revealing a surprised Kohaku.

"Rin!" He said, blinking. "I thought it might have been you but I wasn't sure... what's up?"

Rin sighed.

That was something Kohaku would do. They were so alike, and yet so different. Whereas Kohaku acted as if nothing happened, Rin chose to prolong the inevitable, ignoring her problems until she was forced to confront them.

"Look, Kohaku-"

Kohaku cut her off, placing a hand over her mouth. He looked up at her sadly, before taking a breath.

"Please don't." He told her, his voice cracking slightly. He removed his hand and looked down, refusing to meet her eyes.

Rin frowned. He was close to tears, his lower lip trembling slightly. It pained her to see him like this. And it was all over her. She sighed, running a hand through her hair, before forcing herself to smile.

"Kohaku, I..." Her voice was strained. Was this really... the right thing to do? Her words would tear him apart. "I was going to say that I... I..." She looked up at him. He was looking at her intently. She couldn't do it. She couldn't tell him that she didn't feel the same way. "I was thinking that maybe... we could try going to the movies this Saturday." She bit her lip immediately after she said it, knowing how he would take it.

"Like... like a date?" He asked her, straightening up a bit.

She gulped, looking down. "...Y-...yes. Like a date."

"RReally!?" He exclaimed, his face lighting up.

"What could it hurt?" She mumbled, still unable to look at him.

* * *

After her and Kohaku said goodbye five minutes later, while walking away from his house Rin burst into tears. She hadn't meant to get his hopes up. She just didn't want to break his heart like that. Though now, she knew it would be much worse. Running down the sidewalk, she didn't even bother to look where she was going. All she knew was that she didn't want to go home. She wiped her eyes as she ran, trying to s top the tears from flowing. This had turned into a huge mess. And how was she going to fix it now?

She stumbled, barely catching herself and stopped, sobbing harder and falling to the ground. She buried her face in her knees, at a loss of what to do. What _was_ there to do? She sniffled, before looking up.

Her feet had taken her to the entrance of the forest.

* * *

foxgirl: I'm so sorry that it took so long for me to update! And even worse, this is a really short and stupid chapter... thank you so much for your reviews! please forgive me!

Vixen: They won't.


	6. Doubts

sorry about the italizied 'E'

**Chapter Six**

_One night, once the beast had decided that he was in love with the girl, he kissed her, eager to share his feelings. The girl didn't respond, opting instead to simply give the demon a wary smile, her eyes filled with disgust and pity.  


* * *

E_verything was quiet. Not a sound stirred the air. Rin stood, wiping her eyes clean of moisture. She sniffed softly, staring into the woods. She felt... compelled. Drawn to the forest... and she knew why. Sighing, she turned, away from the trees and closing her eyes. She had promised her mother that she wouldn't go to the forest. Not to mention it was dangerous. But right now she couldn't think of any other place she wanted to be.

Turning on her heal, Rin darted into Whisper Forest, running as fast as she could. She needed to get away. All she could think about was Kohaku and how she was unintentionally leading him on. She felt like a terrible person. The guilt was eating her up inside, digging into her mind and settling there. Her feet pounded against the leaves, kicking them up under her heals. She could barely see where she was running. As she continued aimlessly on, her breathing beginning to come faster, she thought back to what she had told Kohaku.

'What was I supposed to do?' She argued with herself internally, 'Break his heart!?'

'No.' She responded to herself, her inner voice chiding. 'But now it's going to be even worse.' She stopped running for a moment, leaning against the back of a tree and catching her breath. She didn't know how long she had been running.

Looking around, she came to another conclusion.

She didn't even know where she was.

Sighing at her carelessness she stood, beginning to walk in the direction she had been going. She wouldn't just go back now. And although she wasn't sure where her feet were taking her...

She had a pretty good idea.

She sighed, crossing her arms and deciding to think of other things.

The forest was quite beautiful in the daytime, she noticed. Not nearly as scary as it had been that night. She shivered, thinking of how she had almost been killed.

Suddenly she froze, looking behind her. What if... what if those wolves were still here? Her breathing quickened slightly and she hastened her pace, not wanting to have another encounter with them. Frantic now she searched the trees and bushes, even looking at the dirt and the underbrush. She needed to find something, anything that would tell her she was going the right way.

After a while her searching slowed, her resolve lessened and she wasn't quite sure anymore why she had gotten herself into this position. One argument was that she wanted someone to talk to, but there was a rebuttal to that statement.

She had other friends. Kohaku might be her closest, but he wasn't the only one. Why hadn't she called one of them?

The only real reason that she could think of was that...

She had wanted to see him.

Frowning she looked up at the tree tops, banishing that thought from her head. She had only met him once, and he was an anti-social demon. She had to call him _lord_ for pete's sake! Rin sighed, knowing that that wasn't true. He just didn't talk much, he wasn't completely anti-social...

Just a little bit.

At this she couldn't help but grinned, and thanked whatever higher power there was that she still held the power to entertain herself.

* * *

She didn't know how long she had been wandering. And Rin was positive that she was lost. She cursed herself softly under her breath, annoyed that she had been so naïve as to believe that she could find her way to his castle all by herself.

Even more so to think that maybe… maybe he'd be waiting for her. She shrieked softly as she tripped over a root protruding out of the ground, falling and landing roughly on her side.

"Owch…" She mumbled, rubbing her hip gently. As she was sitting there, vulnerable, miserable and alone, a thought weaseled its way into her head. She frowned as it began to work it's way around, making more and more sense the more she thought about it.

Maybe…

Maybe Lord Sesshomaru didn't want her to come back.

Maybe she was just fooling herself. Perhaps he was just being curteous when he implied that he'd like to see her again. Looking down at her hands, she narrowed her eyes.

She had even forgotten his book.

She sniffed, as tears began to well up in her eyes again. Standing, she stumbled over to a lone tree, leaning against it heavily.

What was wrong with her?

Her best friend was in love with her and her mother didn't trust her to go out on her own, she wasn't in the least ready for her senior year, and here she was, turning to a man – a demon, in fact – who she had only met once.

It was ridiculous.

How did she even know that he could be trusted? Perhaps he only wanted her to come back so that he could have another chance to devour her. She sniffled once more, wiping her nose with her sleeve. Making a decision, she stood. The wind blew a little heavier on the trees and as it passed the forest reached the quintessence of silence. Not a sound could be heard as her resolve faded and her optimism cracked. Her heart fell, and her view on the world shifted slightly, taking on a darker tone.

She wasn't going to go back.

She probably couldn't even find the castle anyways, and Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't want her even if she could. He was a demon lord who had survived on his own for what had probably been hundreds of years, what did he want some girl to come and bother him for?

She turned, not bothering to wipe the tears running from her eyes. Every step she took hurt her a little more than the last. But she continued on, knowing that it was pointless to turn around. She wasn't even sure if she was going in the right direction. Looking up she sobbed softly. How was she going to get home? She closed her eyes, attempting to get control over breathing. Even if she didn't make it home, it wouldn't matter. What was waiting for her there anyways?

Sighing she crossed her arms, hitting her head softly. She shouldn't think like that. She frowned, taking another step with difficulty. Something was telling her to stay.

"Rin?"

The voice cut into the silence, a low baritone that was very familiar. Her heart skipped a beat and she gasped, not daring to look. When nothing else was said she turned, looking behind her shoulder for the demon lord. She inhaled in expectation, clenching her fists unconsciously... and then she gasped softly, easing the tension in her hands and lowering her head.

There was no one there.

"I must have been... hearing things..." She mumbled to herself, wiping her eyes. Her mind was playing a dirty trick on her. 'But I could have sworn...'

She took one step forward and collided into a hard chest. Losing her balance slightly she placed her hands in front of her, finding them resting on something warm and breathing. With her head bowed as it was she could see a pair of black-clad feet. She raised her eyes slowly, not wanting to believe what was right in front of her. Soon she was staring into a pair of curious looking amber orbs, where above them one eyebrow was quirked gently. She opened her mouth slowly, unsure of what to say. His lips parted and she switched her gaze there as he spoke.

"What are you doing here?"

It was then she realized their close proximity. Still stunned, she removed her hands from his chest, taking a step back slowly, to stunned to be embaressed. She barely registered that he had asked her a question.

"I..." She whispered, speechless. "I was... looking for you." Rin admitted, feeling slightly sheepish. Lord Sesshomaru didn't respond. To some he would look menacing, unwelcoming, as if he were disgusted that someone was in his presence. To Rin, he simply seemed as if he had nothing to say.

"Why?"

This question floored her. Why _had_ she been looking for him? She looked away briefly, attempting to find a response. There were many reasons but none of them seemed right. What could she say?

He was looking at her expectantly, his face completely neutral making him extremely hard to read. He seemed colder than when she had last seen him. He seemed almost... angry. Or shocked, that she was there.

Almost as if he hadn't expected her to return.

"I was... lonely." She said finally, looking back at him.

He paused, eyeing her briefly before lowering his lids in what was the most gentle expression she had ever seen him display.

"So was I."

* * *

Foxgirl: so sorry about the wait and the short chappie, again! I wrote some of this chapter, then I wasn't able to type for a week, because of homework and play practice and choir concerts... and then I went on this random vacation to florida that I knew nothing about until recently. So I was gone for four days, without access to a computer and well... sorry. But, here's the chapter, and I will try to update sooner next time! I promise!

Vixen: That's what you said last time.

Foxgirl: shut up. Review please!


	7. The Hug

**Chapter Seven**

_The next time dark descended the skies; the villagers stormed the mansion, _somehow_ learning of its inhabitant's terrible secret. The man wasn't able to do much, but he successfully erected a barrier around the castle, driving out the intruders for good.  


* * *

"L_ord Sesshomaru..." Rin began, bowing her head slightly. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay long..." She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. He didn't say anything, watching her, waiting for her to speak again. "I'm really glad that you're not angry with me for coming to this place again."

"Why would I be angry?" He asked her, his eyes regarding her curiously. She looked up at him, slightly surprised.

"Well... I mean... I just thought that maybe... er..." She closed her mouth and crossed her arms. "Never mind. Forget it." She pouted slightly, angry that she was so tongue-tied right now. Her eyes found his face again and she paused, studying his features. They were so... defined. Even the demonic markings he bore, looked like someone painted them on painstakingly carefully with a paintbrush, instead of him simply being born with them.

"This Sesshomaru finds no reason to be angry. It is quite the opposite, actually." He began, meeting her gaze. This was something about the demon lord that she loved, and hated simultaneously. Once you looked at his eyes it was very difficult to look away. You could get lost in those eyes, the ones that were so deadly beautiful, and yet revealed nothing about what the demon was thinking at all. ...And staring at somebody wasn't the best way to make polite conversation.

"Really?" Rin asked, forcing herself to look away. This hadn't been what she was expecting at all.

"I am... glad... that you came." He seemed almost puzzled by his choice of words, but before Rin could decipher the little emotion that he let leak onto his face, it was gone. She sighed, a light smile playing on her lips.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." She began, "I really should be going soon."

Sesshomaru appeared to frown, but he didn't say anything, so she continued.

"I... promised my mother that I wouldn't be out long. She told me that..." She looked to the ground, sighing slightly. "She told me that she doesn't want me in the forest anymore, because she's afraid that I could get hurt." Rin looked up at the Lord, furrowing her brow in determination. "But she only thinks that because... because she doesn't know that I have _you_ here! ...To... protect me." She looked at him, almost embarrassed with her last statement. Sesshomaru looked unphased, standing as icily as ever, the stoic mask he always seemed to wear in place.

"How-" He paused after this last word, before continuing on as if he hadn't stopped. "Can you be so sure that I will protect you?"

This question was asked so calmly, that it surprised her.

How?

She didn't know.

"I..."

She looked at him, unable to convey what she was feeling. Why did he have to make things so difficult? She had... she had missed him. Though she barely knew this cold demon lord, she felt a strange longing to get to know him. To become... friends. Just that, she told herself, nothing more. And to have him long for her in return.

"I'm not sure. It's just... well... I don't know. But I feel like I can trust you." Her words were spoken with nothing but truth, and all the trust that a child was able to give. Sesshomaru's face remained unchanged. He didn't appear affected by her words; one would even go so far as to say that he didn't care.

"Show me."

Her eyes looked at him curiously, and she pulled her hair behind her ears nervously.

"W-What do you mean?"

Sesshomaru looked away for a moment, turning his head the slightest bit. "I need to know that you speak the truth. If you show that you would be able to grant me with your life, then you shall have my trust in return."

His words floored her. How was she supposed to show him that she trusted him? She had an idea but... would that work? Would if even mean anything to him? Or would she just be embarrassing herself? Hesitantly she walked closer to him, pausing after every step. Though she moved slowly, soon she was directly in front of the demon lord, looking up at him and biting her lip slightly.

"I..." She paused, steeling herself, and stating with more confidence, "I _do _trust you."

Her arms rose slowly, and her eyes looked up to meet his. It might not be a significant thing to him... but to Rin, a hug was one of the most sacred and comforting bonds that she knew of. She wasn't quite sure otherwise how to convey her emotions, without using actions.

Her outstretched arms stopped in their trek before she was actually able to touch Lord Sesshomaru. He hadn't moved once during her endeavor, and she wasn't sure if what she was about to do would be... acceptable to him, or even if it was a smart move on her part. By this point, she was as close as she could get to the lord without actually feeling him against her. She hadn't really noticed how tall he was before. She only came up to a bit below his collarbone.

"You have this Sesshomaru's permission, to _touch_ my body."

His voice resonated in her ears, sounding even smoother now that she was so close. She trembled slightly, blushing at the way he had phrased his sentence. She was almost positive there was some sort of hidden meaning in his words. Taking a step forward, she wrapped her arms around his back, pillowing her head on his chest and allowing her eyes to flutter close. He could easily harm her, if he wanted to. But somehow, she knew he wouldn't. After a moment or so, she tightened her hold, surprised at how warm he was, despite his cold demeanor. She could feel the slight rise and fall of his chest, and she could smell a rich, soothing scent emanating off of him in waves. Her eyelids opened slightly and without thinking, she pressed her form closer to his, taking in all of the warmth. For the first time in _weeks_ she felt content.

In mere moments she found herself melting into the one-sided embrace, completely lost and drunk on his scent. Rin felt... unlike herself for a moment, her body acting of it's own accord and slowly, softly (unintentionally) grinding her hips against his. The motion was slight, but it was enough.

A soft, almost inaudible inhale of breath that was not her own snapped her out of her dazed state. His chest stopped its slow, calm rising and falling, shuddering slightly. For a moment, she lost the ability to breath, suddenly aware of what she was doing and coming to her senses, loosening her arms and quickly stepping back to a more appropriate position. A fiery blush stained her cheeks and she berated herself for doing something so foolish.

This man was a stranger.

She had met him but once before.

Yet... already there was some sort of irresistible attraction between them. Something that compelled her to want to be closer to him...

She halted her train of thought once more, focusing on the task at hand. She wanted his trust. Just that, so that she would be able to see him again, to hear his voice and simply bask in his presence – No! She wanted to come back so she could have a _friend_. That was all. Someone to lean on in these hard times. He had said himself that he was lonely!

"Do you, uh, believe me now?"

Sesshomaru gave no response, and she became slightly worried. Had she offended him somehow? Done something wrong?

Suddenly and slowly, Rin felt a strong arm wrap around her waist slightly, pressing her closer to Lord Sesshomaru briefly, before letting her go completely. And all too quickly, he was standing a good distance away from her, his face not quite as cold as it had been. Though he was standing a greater distance away.

"Did you not say that your mother was expecting you?"

Rin grinned at this response, knowing that it was probably the best she was going to get. But he had accepted her embrace, and it was enough.

"Yeah!" She admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I guess I'll be on my way then." She turned, giddy with the events that had transpired.

"Would you prefer that I show you the way out of the forest?"

She turned abruptly, realizing that she didn't even know where she was going. "Oh. ...Um, yeah. That'd be nice."

She thought about it. At this rate, and for how long she'd been walking, it would take at least twenty minutes to get back home if they walked out of the woods. She sighed. That would have to do.

Without warning, she felt a warm body close to her – again- and before she knew it, she was being carried in the arms of Lord Sesshomaru.

She made a sound of protest, slightly surprised. "Hey! What're you-"

"Trust me."

She looked up at him with wide eyes, meeting his gaze briefly before looking down. Slowly she nodded, waiting to see what he was planning.

The lord walked a couple of steps, before accelerating the slightest bit. And before Rin knew what was going on he was _running_ over the forest floor, though she couldn't hear his foot falls and he didn't appear to be breathing any heavier. _Gliding_ was a more appropriate term.

Soon -it couldn't have been more than three minutes- they were at the edge of the forest and Sesshomaru came to a halt, not even losing his balance from the sudden stop. She looked around, slightly dazed from the quick method of travel. Slowly and carefully, he put her down, standing her on her feet.

"Whoa..." She breathed, looking up at him in awe. "I had no idea you could run that fast!" She took a moment to get her bearings, finding her vision was swimming a bit. She shook it slightly, before looking back at Sesshomaru. "Why didn't you do that the first time?"

Sesshomaru smiled faintly, turning in preparation to leave. "Those are answers for another day."

Rin sighed, crossing her arms. "...Fine." She smiled at his back, aware that he couldn't see her. "Goodbye, Lord Sesshomaru."

She was in a much better mood. She began to walk away, but she hadn't taken more than two steps when he spoke again.

"Rin?"

She looked back at him, finding that he hadn't turned. "Er, yes?"

There was a pause.

"Will you come back tomorrow?"

Her eyes widened slightly and she stared at the back of Sesshomaru's head, wondering exactly what he was thinking.

"Yes... yes, of course I will." She answered. She was unable to keep herself from smiling, she found, finding it hard to fight back the happiness she was feeling.

A brief nod was the only sign he gave her that he had heard her, before he started into the forest again, walking instead of running this time.

She watched him until he faded from view, lingering a bit longer, before setting off towards home. A brief feeling fluttered in her chest and she grinned widely again, taking her time as she strolled.

She couldn't help the thoughts racing through her head.

'Tomorrow, I'll get to see my lord again! I wonder if he'll let me borrow anymore books... or if we'll finish the tour, or-'

She froze slightly, realizing what she had called him.

_Her_ Lord?

Since when had she begun to...

She frowned, rephrasing her thoughts slightly. 'Lord Sesshomaru. I'll get to see Lord Sesshomaru.'

She shook her head, disregarding the thought and figuring it was just a slip of words. It promptly left her mind once she neared her house.

* * *

Lord Sesshomaru was thinking about the human girl, that he hadn't been able to get out of his head for three weeks. Her actions were... surprised, to say the least.

Sesshomaru had been extremely surprised when he saw Rin in the forest. He had thought that he smelled her scent... but he hadn't wanted to hope for anything.

...Hope.

...What a _wretched_ emotion.

And yet, the girl came back. Just as she said she would.

'Perhaps this time will be different.' He thought to himself as he walked through _his_ forest. His steps faltered and he frowned. 'No. The girl... means nothing. She is simply an outlet to qualm my loneliness... perhaps even a... friend- acquaintance.' He caught himself. The demon lord continued walking, long silver hair dancing in the breeze behind him. 'I am not so foolish as to make the same mistake twice.'  


* * *

foxgirl: yeah... sorry. I couldn't help making him refer to himself in the third person, I love it when he does that! Sorry about how long it took to get this chapter up, but this time it was because I was actually working on it and picking and choosing very carefully what was said and done. Expect a while before the next chapter comes up, as I've been pretty busy with schoolwork lately. And thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I'm sorry that I'm not able to update faster... *sigh* this is embracing darkness all over again.... I think I did okay... though it could have been better. What do you think?

Vixen: Do you actually think that I actually _read_ the crap you write?

Foxgirl: -_- ...I was asking the readers.

Vixen: Sure you were. Review please.


	8. The Sunset

**Chapter Eight**

_The rest of his family, however, wasn't as fortunate. His parents and sibling died, attempting to spare the humans from any harm. Since their servants had long since run out, fled from their new forms, the man was left alone, without a single companion.  


* * *

T_he rest of the day seemed to drag on slowly. She couldn't seem to get Sesshomaru's words out of her head, which made it increasingly hard to stay upset about her date with Kohaku on Saturday. By the end of the evening, her problem was all but forgotten.

"Why are you in such a good mood today, Rin?" Her mother asked during dinner. She had been smiling throughout the whole meal, picking at her food, as she wasn't very hungry. Her head lifted when she heard the question, and her face went blank.

"Uh... I..."

What was she supposed to say? 'I'm happy because I get to see Lord Sesshomaru tomorrow! You wouldn't know him; he's a full-grown demon man who lives in the forest. See you when I get home!' ... that wasn't going to work.

"I... I have... a... date tomorrow!"

Time seemed to stop as Rin realized what she had just said. What kind of excuse was that?

"You... have a... date?" Her mother asked, her smile fading.

Rin averted her eyes nervously. "Um... uh yes?"

"Wonderful! Who's the lucky guy?"

....

........

..............

Rin blinked. "W-what?"

"Oh you don't have to tell me, honey. Just be back by ten and make sure you're careful!" Her mother smiled widely as she regarded her daughter. She had seemed upset lately, she had noticed. Even though she wasn't too sure about her going out with a boy, she knew Rin would be safe. Besides, she knew that her daughter needed this. She needed to get out. She hadn't been seeing Kohaku as much recently, she knew, and was worried that something had happened between them.

But those were just the silly notions of a worried parent.

* * *

As Rin lay awake that night, staring up at her ceiling she found herself unable to sleep. She sighed, turning over for what seemed like the umpteenth time. Why was this so difficult? It was just closing your eyes!

After a few hours, Rin gave up, deciding instead to read that book again.

She spent the rest of the night sitting up late and reading with her back to the headboard.

* * *

As soon as the clock hit noon, Rin was out the door. Telling her mother that she was going on her 'date' now, she bolted down the stairs, making sure she remembered to grab his book and the nightgown she had wore. Once she got nearer to the forest, she slowed, panting slightly. Coming to a sudden realization, she blushed. How would he know when she had come? They hadn't specified a time and it would be ridiculous to think that he would just wait for her all day...

Sighing slightly she decided that she'd figure out miniscule details like that later.

As she neared the tree line, she bit her lip, running a hand through her undoubtedly messy hair. After looking for a moment, she thought that she saw a figure's outline become clear. Confused, she squinted slightly, quickening her pace. A flash of sunlight glinted off of something silver. Walking closer, she discovered her lord, Lord Sesshomaru sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree that was rooted a few feet into the forest. His eyes were closed, the slight wind lightly lifting his silver locks. His expression was peaceful, a wave of calm washed over him as he basked in the sunlight. Blushing slightly when she realized she had been staring she stepped over to the demon lord, watching him as he slept. Her shadow pooled over him.

Slowly, his eyes blinked open, regarding her curiously.

"Ah! Lord Sesshomaru! I thought that you were asleep..." Rin said nervously, rubbing the back of her head. He turned his head away slightly, looking off at something behind her. Then he focused his gaze on her, beginning to stand. Once he was on his feet, he kept his support on the tree, looking off sleepily nowhere in particular. His eyes were half lidded, and his lips parted slightly. He seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in after that, nodding his head.

"I am a very light sleeper."

She blushed, not knowing what to say next.

"Um... oh! I brought your book back..." She smiled, holding the novel out to him. He reached out a clawed hand and took it, his fingertips gently brushing against hers. "Erm... I brought this as well. I didn't realize that I had taken it home."

Awkwardly she held out the nightgown, but he rejected it with a slight shake of the head. "You may keep it. I have no use for it."

With that he turned, beginning to walk further into the woods. "How long will you be staying?" He asked, knowing that she would follow. She did as was expected and looked at him as he spoke, tracing the stripes on his cheek with her eyes.

"Oh, my mom said I had to be home by ten so, I should probably start heading back before it gets too dark-"

Sesshomaru turned, glancing behind them, his eyes narrowing slightly. He stayed turned for a full minute, unable to find what had disturbed his delicate senses.

It was quiet.

"... Lord Sesshomaru? What's wrong?" Rin asked, taking a step closer to him in case it was something dangerous. He looked down at her, shaking his head.

"It is... nothing."

They continued onward without stopping until they reached his manor. Both of them failed to see the figure hidden in shadows watching them from his hiding spot behind a tree.

* * *

The building was even grander than she remembered. He allowed her to simply walk through his home, looking in whatever door she wanted to. She came to the ballroom and stopped. Still marveling at it's size. Wandering inside she noticed something she hadn't before, an ebony-colored piano sitting in the corner. She turned her head to the demon lord, looking at him questioningly.

"Do you play?"

"A little." He admitted. "That was my mother's piano. She was much better than I."

Rin found she was drawn the instrument, sitting down at the bench gently. She ghosted her fingers over the keys, wondering if it was even in tune.

"Well let's hear it." She declared, motioning for him to sit next to her. Hesitantly he took a seat, the soft fabric of his pants brushing against her thighs that were clad in shorts. As if recalling a memory he positioned his fingers over the blank white keys of the piano, and with a gently firmness began to play.

The song was a sad, sweet melody, starting out very softly. Listening to it was heart wrenching, the raw emotion in the song almost too much to handle. With interest, Rin watched his fingers playing, and as his sleeves fell back slightly she noticed there were more of those magenta-colored stripes snaking up his wrists on both arms. Without realizing what she was doing, she reached out her hand, lightly tracing a finger along the line his markings made. He stopped playing abruptly, and she could feel the flesh trembling slightly under her fingers. He drew his wrist away from her and she put her hand down, blushing slightly.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know what they –ah- what they felt like."

They were a different texture than his skin, she noticed.

He stood, averting his gaze.

"I will be back. Stay here, Rin."

She nodded, watching as he sauntered off, closing the ballroom door behind him. She sighed, drumming her fingers against the piano. She played around with the notes, attempting to play something that at least _resembled_ a song, but after a moment, she resorted to standing. Her head turned, as she looked at all the corners of the humongous room. Forcing her feet to move, she soon found herself standing under the huge chandelier that hung in the middle. She grinned, twirling her feet around so that she began spinning rapidly in the center.

After going in circles for a bit she slowed, moving her arms so that it was a bit more like a dance. Humming a song of her own creation, she performed a routine by herself. She twisted, allowing her eyes to slide close to better imagine the music. After a while of the pointless dance, she began getting more intricate, twirling her arms about as if she actually had a partner.

Reaching her hand out to her side, she brought it back in, using the force to propel her in another spin. She giggled, preparing to do the same thing, holding her hand out. She froze, however, as her fingertips felt something warm.

Her eyes flew open to discover Lord Sesshomaru, holding her hand and gently twirling her around. She blushed as he drew her close to him, holding her there before spinning her back out and allowing her to twirl around once more.

"W-what are you doing?" She stammered, too shocked to stop the impromptu dance.

"A lady," He began, beginning to lead her in a step that she didn't know. "When in the company of a gentleman, should never have to dance alone."

Her blush grew rapidly as he placed a hand delicately around her waist pulling her a bit closer as they continued where Rin had left off.

Submitting, she carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. Tightening the grip on the hand he was holding, she laced her fingers in between his. Not wanting him to see her crimson stained face she buried it into the soft fabric on his chest. He made no protest so she stayed there, breathing in his comforting scent.

Though there was not a single noise echoing off the walls, Rin's ears could hear a beautiful symphony, playing a song just for them.

* * *

After the initial awkwardness of their dance had faded and they had walked around the mansion a bit more, Rin had asked eagerly if they could go through the gardens, as they hadn't gotten a chance to the last time she was there. He agreed, walking her down the hallway (that Rin was quickly becoming familiar with) and out the door. They circled round to the back of the mansion, walking under a silver archway overgrown with vines and entering the single most beautiful place Rin had ever seen in her life.

There were flowers there that she didn't even know existed, all around her were vivid reds and soft blues, bright yellows and complex purples. Roses and lilies, daffodils and marigolds, complete with chrysanthemums, gardenias and geraniums. She stooped over to a rose bush, reaching for one with wide eyes.

"It's so beautiful..." She whispered, trailing off. She looked back up at her lord, a questioning look in her eyes. "May I?"

He nodded his consent, and with new motivation, she reached for one, grasping it firmly and picking a rose from its stem. She hissed slightly as a thorn left a small gash on her palm.

"Owch." She said, wincing and holding her injured hand fondly. The cut went from the outside of the knuckle of her pinky, and ended about where the thumb began. Frowning slightly she placed the rose in her hair so it would be out of the way.

"You are injured." The demon lord said, watching her palm. She smiled up at him, laughing sheepishly.

"It's just a scratch." She insisted. Suddenly remembering something, she gasped. "Oh! You can heal it, can't you? Like you did last time?"

Ever since the wounds on her stomach had magically disappeared, she had been desperate to learn the secret. Was it a spell? Or something simpler? Would _she_ be able to imitate it?

Lord Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably, opening his mouth to speak slowly.

"It is... quite an... _uncanny_ method."

Her grin widened.

"I don't mind if you don't! Here."

She held out her hand palm up, and he tentatively took it, eyeing her wearily before pulling the limb up to his mouth, ducking his head slightly. His eyelids lowered imperceptibly and Rin was slightly surprised to see his tongue move slowly out from between his parted lips.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" She said, blushing slightly as she watched the pink appendage. "What are you... ah!"

She felt the sensation of his tongue running over her palm, gently but firmly putting pressure on the cut. Her immediate reaction was to pull back, but he had a firm grip on her wrist. The slight pain was drowned out by the other sensations. She inhaled sharply as his gaze turned to her, watching her expression as he continued to heal her wound.

Her breathing had begun to increase slightly and she was relieved when he pulled away, taking her hand back quickly. She stared at him for a moment, before turning her eyes to her palm, surprised to see that the cut was no longer there. For a moment her mind flashed back to the first time she stayed in the demon lords castle, and she remembered the odd feeling she had had, something warm running over her stomach.

That was...

She blushed profusely, averting her gaze.

"I warned you that it was uncanny."

"Yes, well... um –ah-..." Instead of attempting to answer, she simply turned, subtly hinting that she wanted to keep going. He followed her, smartly choosing to not comment on the matter any further.

* * *

They were wandering around outside for hours -she hadn't been keeping track of time- and had eventually came to a small pond with a sakura tree next to it. Rin chose here to rest, laying down on her stomach and watching the small ripples in the water, as Lord Sesshomaru took his spot sitting under the tree. She rambled (as that was what she was good at) and he listened (that being a quality of his) and commented occasionally. He wasn't a particularly avid speaker, as she had noticed before, but his presence was comfortable to be in, and he gave off the impression of sincerely taking in what she was saying. After a while she rolled over, looking up at the sky as the moon was just beginning to come out.

After a while they moved again, Lord Sesshomaru leading her even further around the house until they came to the steps which led to the back door. He made his self comfortable, and she followed suit, sitting as close to him as she dared.

And looking up she discovered why the demon lord had chosen this spot to watch the last remaining minutes of daylight.

The sun was in perfect view from their seat, and as it set, red and purple hues could be seen disappearing beyond the treetops. She gazed on in wonder, leaning forward slightly.

"One day you shall have to see the view from the roof. It is... quite spectacular."

Rin turned her head, slightly startled when she saw how close the demon lord actually was. Perhaps she was closer than she had originally thought.

Focusing back on the statement, she turned away, smiling.

"Yeah... I'd like that."

* * *

The day eventually had to come to a close, and as it did, it found Lord Sesshomaru and Rin inside, saying their parting words.

"I'll be fine." Rin insisted, trying to convince him that he didn't have to walk her home. "Since I'm going to be coming here a lot I'm going to have to get used to getting to and out of the woods by myself."

Realizing what she had just implied she blushed.

Reluctantly he nodded. "The way back to your home, to get out of the woods." He began. "Walk straight back from here until you come to the Goshinboku tree. It is the largest one in the forest, and it's roots stretch far. You will know when you find it. Once you reach there turn left, and continue walking straight."

She nodded, retaining the simple directions before looking back up at her lord.

"Well then... this is goodbye." She stated awkwardly, clasping her hands together. There was a moment of silence, before she darted forward, pulling him into a quick, warm embrace and proceeding to dash out the door, shouting an embarrassed, "Goodbye!" behind her.

Lord Sesshomaru stared after her, watching the door long after it had closed.

"Perhaps I was... wrong."

* * *

Rin ran off the grounds, the newfound adrenaline that came from doing something so daring as hugging the demon lord propelling her forward.

Though something was nagging her in the back of her head. When they had passed the hallway that she had slept in before, while wandering around after their 'dance'. The portrait that had looked so much like him had been taken down.

She hadn't gone ten feet past the main gate when she ran into something, squeaking softly and falling backwards.

"Ah! What-"

She looked up, gasping. There before her stood the worried and cold eyes of Kohaku.

* * *

Foxgirl: sorry about the wait, I finally managed to get it out without my computer going berserk. Hope you liked. This chapter was really all fluff, and it was kind of difficult to write, as I had little inspiration. sorry if fluffy was too OOC.

Vixen: review please.


	9. Fairytale reality

**Chapter Nine**

_The demon's raven-haired angel didn't come back that night and he never saw her again.  


* * *

"K_-Kohaku!" Rin stuttered, standing up. "What are you doing here?" Nervously she ran a hand through her hair, and her palm brushed over the rose she had so carelessly placed in it earlier.

"I think that's what I should be asking you." He said, speaking gravely. Rin gulped softly, taking a step back.

"How did you find me?"

"I saw you walking towards the forest, so I was going to come with you..." He hesitated here. "But then I saw you talking with this... monster..."

Something in her snapped.

"Lord Sesshomaru is NOT a monster!"

Kohaku frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Lord... Sesshomaru?"

Rin bit her lip, realizing that she would have to tell Kohaku everything.

"I... I was going to tell you earlier..."

Rin told him everything, from how she _really_ left the forest, to her promise to return the castle and finally to how she got there today. She left out the finer details of her little adventure, such as their dance and the kiss he had mistakenly given her when they first met. Once she finished she spared a glance at her friend, unsure of how he would react.

"So this ... _Lord_ is your... friend?"

"Er... yeah." Rin confessed. "He's a very interesting person, though he's not very social."

There was a silence, for a moment, before Kohaku sighed.

"Rin, you're too trusting. You have no _idea_ how worried I was about you. I tried to follow you guys in past the gate and get your attention but... I can't go more than ten feet in without having to turn back."

"What? What do you mean? Why can't you get past the gate?"

Rin was confused. She hadn't had any problems that afternoon.

"I don't know. After a certain point it's like... my body refuses to go any further. I can't explain it. It has to be some sort of magic."

She averted her gaze. Kohaku reached out his hand, cupping Rin's cheek in his hand in what was meant to be a comforting gesture.

The appendage was too warm, and though she knew Kohaku well, the touch was foreign. She began to squirm uncomfortably.

"Rin, if you honestly feel that he won't hurt you, I can't exactly prevent you from visiting him. But be careful, okay? I mean... what if... I don't know-"

"Kohaku, I'll be fine." Rin said, tugging his hand off her face, gently. She grinned at her friends concern for her. "I was planning on coming back tomorrow, would you like to come? I'm sure he'd like to meet you."

Kohaku paused for a moment, before sighing.

"I want to... but I have something to do tomorrow."

Suddenly a sheepish smile was plastered onto his face.

"Just make sure you're free on Saturday!"

Rin faltered. "Why? What's happening on Saturday?"

His grin fell slightly. "Er, well—our date, remember?"

"Oh!" She exclaimed. She had completely forgotten about the whole ordeal. "R-right."

Kohaku simply smiled, oblivious to the inner turmoil she was facing inside.

* * *

Rin showed Kohaku the way out of the woods, explaining to him that the demon lord had informed her of the way. Kohaku tried to stir up small talk, and Rin complied. Soon they were laughing and bickering like they used to, and all the awkwardness between them dissipated.

When it came time to go their separate ways, he waved and began to run to his house, calling over his shoulder, "I'll pick you up at seven, okay?"

Rin shouted an, 'Okay!' after him, before turning and darting to her house as well. Who knew? Perhaps the date wouldn't be as bad as she thought. It wasn't like she had any other love interests at the moment.

She paused.

She couldn't seem to figure out why, at that moment, Lord Sesshomaru's face flashed through her mind.

Ignoring this weird occurrence, she continued her journey home, walking through the door without hesitation and greeting her mother and father.

"Hi honey! How was your date?" Her mother asked eagerly, throwing down the magazine she had been reading.

"Date?" Her father questioned, raising his gaze from the newspaper. "What date?"

Rin glanced over to him.

"Oh honey, Rin is old enough to go out on dates!" Her mother stated. Her father rebuttled, and soon they were in a full fledge argument which gave Rin enough time to sneak upstairs without having to answer.

Once she reached her room she flopped down on the bed, closing her eyes.

The day had been well spent, one of those rare days of summer that you actually felt hadn't been wasted.

She fell asleep dreaming of amber eyes.

* * *

"_A lady," He started, beginning to lead her in a step that she didn't know. "When in the company of a gentleman, should never have to dance alone."_

_Her blush grew rapidly as he placed a hand delicately around her waist pulling her a bit closer as they continued where Rin had left off. _

_Submitting, she carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. Tightening the grip on the hand he was holding, she laced her fingers in between his. Not wanting him to see her crimson stained face she buried it into the soft fabric on his chest. He made no protest so she stayed there, breathing in his comforting scent._

_Though there was not a single noise echoing off the walls, Rin's ears could hear a beautiful symphony, playing a song just for them._

"_Rin."_

_She looked up at the sound of her name, her eyes meeting his. Slowly he began to dip his head lower, and Rin found that she couldn't bring herself to move away. Her lids fluttered closed, eyelashes dusting her cheeks as his lips, barely a hair away brushed over hers softly. He swallowed the small gasp she let out, running his tongue over her bottom lip.  


* * *

R_in sat up with a cold sweat, the drowsiness of sleep leaving her as soon as her eyes opened. She was breathing deeply, staring around the room nervously. Her dream had been so... real. Lord Sesshomaru and her had been dancing... just like in her manor. Though the dance ended much differently than it had when she was awake. She raised a hand to her lips, unwilling to touch them lest the feeling of his brushing over hers went away.

That was when she realized.

Rin was in love with Lord Sesshomaru.

She bent forward, running two hands through her hair.

This was bad.

He was... he was a demon! Who lived in a secluded area of a forest, in a mansion that wasn't supposed to exist.

How would they ever raise kids-

NO! Bad Rin!

She sighed, falling unceremoniously back down on her bed.

It didn't make sense. They barely knew each other, really.

And he couldn't possibly feel the same...

Could he?

* * *

The next day Rin found herself hurrying to the demon lord's manor. It was Friday. Which meant that tomorrow was the day of her date with Kohaku. She reached the entrance of the forest before pausing. He was not waiting for her this time. Following his instructions, she made her way to his home, hesitating at the gate. Finally she stepped inside, pressing the huge door open and walking through his house. She was surprised that it wasn't locked. She continued her confused meandering through hallways, wondering where her lord was.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I am here, Rin."

Immediately the terror in her chest dissolved.

"Where are you?"

"In the study. Follow the sound of my voice."

She did as she was told and walked through the door to her left.

Lord Sesshomaru was there as promised, lying on the ground on his stomach, a book sitting open in front of him. Rin was surprised to see him in such an informal pose.

"You weren't... uh... I was surprised that you weren't at the door or something."

He raised his head, quirking an eyebrow.

"If you are going to be coming here a lot you are going to have to get used to finding me yourself." He stated, quoting her from earlier. She blushed faintly, crossing her arms.

"Well whatever. I bet you didn't even know I was here."

He tilted his head slightly and Rin was momentarily distracted by the sheen of his platinum-colored hair.

"I knew you were here from the moment you arrived at the gate."

She pouted, walking over and sitting down beside him. He didn't speak, choosing to continue reading. A question burned in the back of her head and she opened her mouth, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin began, thinking back to how Kohaku had been unable to get past the gate. "Why can't anyone walk into the courtyard without turning back?"

"It is... a long story."

Rin laid back, staring up at the ceiling. "I've got time."

He hesitated, before shutting the book he had been reading.

"I haven't always lived here by myself, as you have probably guessed. A long time ago, long before you were born-"

"Before you start!" Rin interrupted. "Can I braid your hair?"

"...What?"

A light pink blush dusted her face.

"Um... can I braid your hair?"

A pause, and then after a soft sigh Lord Sesshomaru said, "If you must."

She resisted the urge to let out a squeal of excitement. After a moment of deciding she sat up a bit, before crawling over and straddling the demon lords back.

"What are you doing?"

"This will work better if I'm on top."

Blush.

"I mean..."

Blush blush.

Sigh.

"I'm just gonna sit on your back. Tell the story."

He sighed softly and she could feel him shifting slightly under her. Ignoring his uncomfortable-ness, she took some of his hair in her hands, combing her fingers through gently.

"As I was saying, long ago, my family and I lived in this manor. My mother, father and I, and my brother, Inuyasha."

He paused here.

"We were... we had been... cursed." This he seemed to say with difficulty.

Rin paused in her actions, letting go of his hair briefly, allowing it to slide between her fingers.

"Cursed?"

He was cursed. What kind of curse? Absentmindedly she found herself thinking back to the portrait she had seen her first night there.

"Yes. We didn't know how to break it, and after a couple years my family simply stopped trying. My parents didn't want any of the villagers finding out so they forbid me or my brother from going outside."

She frowned. "That's... awful."

"Yes, but –aah."

He inhaled slowly. She had begun massaging his scalp, rubbing soothing patterns onto his skull. His head lowered until it was resting in a nest of his arms on the floor.

"You are distracting me."

Rin blushed.

"Oh! Sorry! I could stop..."

He sighed, turning his head to the side. "It is fine. I shall continue. I –" He hesitated. "My brother, snuck out one night. He only intended to take one last walk through the forest but while he was out he... he met someone."

Her careful kneading on his scalp paused. "Like... a _girl_ someone?"

A smirk graced itself upon his lips.

"Yes, a _girl _someone, as you so eloquently put it."

His tone seemed to go wistful for a moment. "Her name was Kagu- Kagome."

Rin gasped in delight, ceasing the stroking on his head altogether and in her excitement, she placed her hands down on his shoulder blades, a smile resting on her lips.

"That's so cute!"

"...Yes..."

She could feel his body rise and fall slightly.

"Needless to say she... she didn't.... well. After about a week of them seeing each other, Kagome stopped coming back to the forest. Inuyasha couldn't leave to see what had happened, lest he give away our secret.

The next day villagers stormed the manor. Some how they figured it and they attempted to... get rid of us. They were fearful. They didn't understand. We were too different. They destroyed everything in the foyer. Everything they could get their hands on they _burned_. My father didn't want to hurt anyone. Even with inhuman strength, he was careful with them. My mother refused to fight at all and Inuyasha..."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"He did all he could. In the end, it wasn't enough. I tried but my... my demonic abilities hadn't developed completely and I wasn't able to erect a barrier in time. My parents... didn't make it. And Inuyasha was severely injured. He died shortly after."

Rin could feel her heart jerking at his story.

"That's why nobody can get past the gate, because of the barrier."

"Lord Sesshomaru I... I'm... I'm so sorry..."

She didn't know what to say. He had been through so much and had lived by himself for so long.

He didn't respond.

And suddenly another question came to mind. One she hadn't bothered asking at the time it occurred to her. Who, exactly, was Kagura?

She looked down at the demon lord, wondering just how much pain he had suffered over the years. Not knowing what else to do she rolled off of his back, laying next to him on the floor. Hesitantly she placed an arm over him, resting her chin on his shoulder blades. All she could do now was show him that she cared, and hope he realized that for the first time in a while, he wasn't alone.

* * *

foxgirl: sorry about any errors. I wanted to get this out before I took my computer to the store to get it fixed. I probably won't be able to post in a while (though that's nothing knew), but this time it's because I won't have a computer. I'll try to write it out or something, though. Sorry about the inconvenience, and the (most likely) crappy chapter. My attempts at angst fail.

Vixen: Yup. Review please.


	10. Happily Ever After

**Chapter Ten**

_He knew that she must have told of his secret... he just chose not to believe it._

**

* * *

**

They had been lying on the floor for an hour.

Rin couldn't bring herself to move.

Soon after she had begun comforting him, he shifted, onto his side to look at her curiously. She blushed slightly, but was determined to not be deterred from her actions. Sitting up halfway she pulled herself closer to him, resting one of her arms on his waist lightly.

He simply eyed the appendage, before switching his gaze back to her eyes.

"Let me help you." She whispered, moving closer and hoping that he wouldn't push her away. Hesitantly, she rested her head against his collarbone, resting in the crook of his neck gently. Her arms wrapped around him and she let out a soft sigh, almost imagining that she could feel his flesh tremble slightly. With eyes falling closed, she stilled, wanting to comfort her lord.

This was all she could do for him.

Offer him her . . . her love.

But what did he _need_?

And tentatively, she felt him shift again, before an arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her ever closer and she could feel his chin resting against the top of her head.

". . . Thank you."

The gesture meant more than he could possibly know.

And she didn't want to move from this position. She felt safe, protected, calm. . .

She felt loved.

But as all moments do, this one had to end as well.

"It would probably be wise of us to get off of the ground now."

She could feel the sound of his voice reverberating (A/N: I'm not sure if I used that word right...) off the top of her head. Once his words registered, she frowned.

"Why? I like the ground."

"Rin."

His tone was authoritative, and she grumbled, rising softly. "I'm getting up, I'm getting up."

Setting her foot on the other side of his leg to steady herself, she sat up completely, facing him. She was straddling one of his legs, and she looked down at their position, blushing lightly.

"Ah, sorry!" She spoke, but made no move to change the situation.

He raised his upper body off of the ground, eyeing her warily.

With him sitting as well, they were much closer than they were both comfortable with.

"Rin. . ." He sighed, raising a hand to his head as if to ward off a headache. Worriedly she wondered whether she had gone to far. She opened her mouth to apologize once more, and was about to move when she heard the next statement that came out of the demon lord's mouth.

"If you continue these careless actions I don't know how much longer I'll be able to control myself."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his, a scarlet blush curling across her cheeks. She dropped her gaze, choosing instead to stare at her hands.

"Uh, um . . . I . . . I'm not sure what you . . ."

She cut off in surprise when she looked up and noticed how much closer he was to her.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru . . .?"

Slowly, almost nervously he brought his hand to her cheek, cupping it in his palm gently. Without realizing, she leaned into his touch, her eyes wide with curiosity.

With the same hand, he ran his thumb over her lips, causing them to part slightly. Unconsciously he came closer, his eyes glimmering with an emotion that Rin could not name.

"Rin . . . what do you think of me?"

For the third time in five minutes, another blush dusted her cheeks.

"Ah!" She gasped. "W-why do you ask?"

"Rin . . ."

Her eyes darted away frantically for a moment, and when she looked back the demon lord was even nearer, his eyes daring her to break contact. She was entranced by his expression, the color of the stripes on his cheeks. By his very being.

When his lips were just a hair's breath away he paused. She could feel his breath brushing her lips every time he exhaled. Her eyes widened, and she couldn't suppress the shudder running down her spine.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru..." She whispered, her breathing accelerating slightly. He dipped his head lower, and she could almost feel the sensation of his lips on hers.

He was too close.

Too close for her to handle.

She could feel her heart begin to beat faster and she let out a shaky breath of anticipation.

Then the contact ended. He pulled back abrubtly, reluctantly allowing his hand to fall away from her face. She found that she wasn't capable of forming coherent thoughts at the moment. He slid out from under her, standing to his full height. Rin stared up at him, still shaken up.

"I apologize." He stated.

He turned to depart, walking swiftly out of the study, and it took Rin a few seconds to realize that he was leaving.

"Lord Sesshomaru, wait!"

She stood up quickly, stumbling slightly before running over to him. He refused to meet her eyes and after a few moments of staring at his face she looked down. It was obvious he didn't want to speak about what had just occurred. But . . . what _had_ just happened? It was so unlike him that she was almost tempted to ask if he was feeling alright, though she couldn't say that she hadn't liked it.

"Um . . . I mean, can we go to the library again? I'd like to borrow another book, if you don't mind."

"Hn."

He nodded, beginning to lead the way, presumably, to the library.

Rin bit her lip, attempting to make sense of all the thoughts racing through her mind.

He . . . he had almost kissed her . . .

_Almost_ being the keyword.

She put a hand to her mouth at this thought, brushing over her lips slightly. What was that about? Why did he . . . why did he do that in the first place?

. . . Why did he pull away?

"We are here."

Rin stopped her train of thought for a moment, looking up to the door he had opened for her. She smiled brightly at him, trying to hide the inner turmoil she was feeling. She walked over to the bookshelf she had found the first book she had borrowed. Pretending to browse, she went over the thoughts in her head, attempting to make sense of them. Now she was definitely certain, that she was in love. At first it was just a thought, a little inkling she had. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. But this... this made her absolutely sure.

"How?"

She turned around, to see Sesshomaru standing now directly in front of her.

"What do you mean, my lord?" It was too late before she realized her mistake. "I-I mean, Lord Sesshomaru!"

"That." Was his simple response. "How? How can you not be disgusted, repulsed by me? I am a monster."

Rin blinked slowly. "What . . .? . . . A . . . _monster_?" She repeated. He cast his gaze downward. Rin frowned, advancing towards him slowly. "Lord Sesshomaru, you are not a monster."

His looked towards her and a glare was sent in her direction. She gasped softly.

"I'm not, am I?" He snapped. His voice raised a notch, the loudest she had ever heard him. "Then what would you call me? How do you describe someone like me! How would you define me? . . . I am . . . a beast." The demon lord's head slumped onto his shoulders, his elegant posture dropping. Long silver bangs covered most of his face.

At his words Rin found her eyes softening, giving him a look of sympathy she knew he would not want. She took another step forward. This time he made no attempts to stop her. She continued, slowly, until she was standing directly in front of him. She tilted her head to the side slightly, desperately wanting to help the demon lord. She copied his motions from earlier, placing her hand on his face gently. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she felt a drop of moisture slide down her finger.

Gently, she lifted his head up, placing her other hand on the opposite side of his face.

He looked at her, with what appeared to be his normal stoic expression. But she could see past the façade. His eyes were glistening with moisture, and they held so much pain Rin felt her heart aching for him. The slouch he had allowed his body to fall into made it much easier for her to bring her face to his, staring into his eyes.

"You," She began, whispering as she brought their faces closer together. "Are beautiful."

Her eyes fluttered close as she pressed her lips against his.

His amber orbs widened slightly in surprise, before he allowed them to fall close, tentatively placing his arms around her waist. Her hands slid down to his shoulders, and she gasped as his mouth rolled against hers. She parted her lips slightly, allowing him to slip his tongue into her mouth, languidly running it over hers.

A small gasp escaped her and she pulled her lord closer, pressing herself flush against him. She fisted her hands into his long, platinum-colored hair.

She desperately wanted to show him, to _prove_ to him, that even monsters can be loved.

They parted after what seemed like an eternity, both of them panting softly.

He looked into her eyes, his tinged with a hint of curiosity. Four hundred years of pent up emotions had all come flowing out at once, and he couldn't quite make sense of what he was feeling now.

"I don't understand . . . why are you not like her? She . . ."

"Her?"

For a moment his gaze turned wistful, before a word was whispered from his lips, so quietly that Rin almost didn't hear it.

"Kagura."

And then everything clicked into place.

"You . . . you were the one that fell in love weren't you?" Rin asked hesitantly.

He nodded, his hold on her tightening slightly.

"That's why you kissed me that day. You thought . . . you thought that I was her. Her eyelids lowered almost imperceptibly as she took in this new information. This was why he acted as he did. Why he put a mask over his true face and never allowed anyone to see it off.

He didn't want to be hurt again.

And she knew then exactly what she could do for him.

Exactly what he needed.

"You two are very different." He stated. "I guess that somewhere along the line I realized that . . . she would never, _could _never return my affections." His eyes strayed over to the window, gazing out of it almost mournfully. "I simply did not want to admit it."

A small smile began to grow on Rin's face, and she buried her face in his chest, turning her head so that it was lying just under his collarbone.

"Well then I guess that's another thing that makes us different." She stated vaguely. He glanced down at her, a fine silver eyebrow raising slowly. Rin tilted her head up, looking into her lord's eyes with a courage that she hadn't possessed earlier.

"I . . ." She looked away for a moment, before staring back at him determinedly, fixing her gaze on his eyes. "I love you."

"W-What?" He choked out, attempting to hold back his surprise. Lord Sesshomaru had never stuttered in his life.

Another blush splashed across her face.

"I love you."

She tightened her hold on him, resting her head back on his chest. "I love you . . ."

He was silent for a moment. All was quiet in the library, and the books themselves seemed to be leaning in to catch a whisper of their voices.

And then she felt a strong hand under chin, tilting her head so that her eyes could meet his.

"I love you, too."

Then for the first time in centuries, Lord Sesshomaru smiled widely.

* * *

_And they lived happily ever after._

* * *

**PLEASE READ:**

**Foxgirl: That's not necessarily the end, I was planning on adding an epilogue about how the curse broke, but I don't know if I should. So I'm leaving it up to you guys! What do you think? Oh! And I really wanted this chapter to be perfect... so if anyone spots ANY flaws, or something that would be better changed, please let me know! ^_^ Thank you for reading!**


	11. Epilogue: After Ever After

**Epilogue**

The teacher droned on at the front of the class. All around the room students sat, either listening to the extremely boring lecture or sitting with their heads down, opting to sleep instead. One girl's eyes were undoubtedly closed, yet she had not succumbed to slumber. A small smile sat on her face, but not because of dreams. No, she was thinking of the very _real_ occurrence of years past. Rin let out a soft sigh, shifting in her seat quietly. She ran a hand through her hair, grinning when the action triggered another memory. Her eyes fluttered open, settling for looking down at the paper she should have been taking notes on. But she hadn't seen _him_ in so long, and she found herself missing his presence terribly.

*

_Rin sat in one of the large armchairs of the library, moving a bit closer to the form sitting behind her. She held a hand in hers, watching it curiously now that it was no longer covered in those magenta stripes. She glanced behind her, taking a look at the man who was holding her close. He tilted his head to the side slightly, tawny strands of hair brushing his face._

"_Rin ..." His velvet voice spoke as he brought his head down slightly._

_The girl couldn't help the broad smile that broke out as his lips gently touched her temple affectionately, his other hand coming up to run through her ebony tresses_.

_However, the frown quickly left her face when she remembered why she had insisted they spend so much time together this weekend._

"_Sesshomaru ..." She mumbled. "Do you really have to leave?"_

*

Rin was woken from her reverie by the soft snore that came from her left. She sighed softly as she was tore from memories of the past.

"Class dismissed."

* * *

The day dragged by slowly, all her classes seeming twice as long as usual. Not even Shippo's incessant chatter could cheer her up, and usually that was all it took to bring a smile to her face. She had met the hyperactive boy her first day on campus, and the two had become fast friends. Though, even the people she kept closest to her knew nothing about the secret she kept.

Rin sighed softly, hugging her books to her chest. She drummed her fingers against them as she walked, already beginning to feel antsy. She glanced upwards as the snow began to fall, hearing the delighted shrieks of all the other college students. She found though that not even the wet flakes of crystallized ice that were falling could improve her distinctly melancholy mood. Her eyes found a few of her friends, beckoning her over.

She smiled gently, shaking her head no.

She had to pack.

She was going home today.

*

_Sesshomaru was standing by the large window in the ballroom, looking out over the snow-covered landscape forlornly. The man had been in that same spot for hours, though Rin had no way of knowing this. She was slightly worried by the way he stood, unmoving, without even the slightest of sounds coming from his direction. She had never seen him like this before, and she found herself a bit . . .frightened. The raven-haired girl observed him for a moment, knowing that he couldn't sense her any longer. After it appeared he wouldn't be moving for a while, she stepped over, gently placing a hand on his shoulder once she had crossed the distance of the large room._

"_Sesshomaru? Are you alright?"_

_For a moment, there was no response. His gaze didn't leave the window, and it almost seemed as if he hadn't heard her. She was about to ask him the same question once more, when he spoke._

"_I am going to . . .miss this place."_

_Rin looked at him curiously._

"_Now that I am human once more, I can't continue to live in this mansion any longer." _

_He looked at her, his eyes filled with emotion now that he had allowed his stoic mask to fall. _

"_I . . .must find elsewhere to go."_

_Rin blinked._

"_W-What?" _

_He finally looked at her now, his gaze full of regret._

"_Perhaps one day I will be able to keep this mansion as a proper home but . . . soon the food . . ." He cut himself off, going silent for a moment. It was quiet for a few moments, before he started again. "And now that the spell has been broken, the barrier keeping this mansion from desecration and keeping it standing is gone as well. For now, I must leave. . . . until then, Rin—"_

*

"Rin!"

Rin blinked as she heard her name being called, glancing back to the person who had shouted for her. She scolded herself for getting lost in thought again, sighing softly when she saw her best friend running up next to her.

"Hey!" He said, grinning. "What's your problem? I've been yelling at you for like, ever!"

Rin looked down, blushing slightly.

"Oh, sorry Shippo . . .I was lost in thought."

He nodded. "So, are you doing anything special for winter break?" He asked, his hands thrown in his pockets carelessly.

That was what Rin liked about Shippo. There was an air of calmness around him, he always seemed to be the first person to rationalize in a hectic situation. And after her and Kohaku split, both going to different schools, she was in desperate need for someone she could turn to.

And Shippo was simply . . .there.

She smiled, looking over to his face.

"Yeah, I'm visiting my parents."

He grinned. "Cool. I might drop by the 'rents for a bit. Other than that, I'm planning on sleeping the _whole_ time." He said triumphantly, a proud look on his face.

Rin laughed, tossing her head back slightly.

Shippo looked over to her, a small smile growing on his face. It always made him glad to see Rin happy, and lately she had seemed more forlorn that her usual bubbly self. He found himself curious as to the cause of this sudden change, but whenever he asked she immediately set to changing the subject. He was about to congratulate himself on successfully distracting her form whatever she had been so concerned over lately, but she already seemed to be lost again, her eyes gaining a far away look.

*

"_Rin ..." _

_Rin blinked as she heard her name being called, glancing back to the person who was speaking._

_Sesshomaru was standing behind her, a warm smile on his face as he presented her with a small box, his head tilted to the side slightly._

_She turned all the way around and stood from the seat she had been occupying, her eyes widening._

"_Happy Birthday." He said simply, taking great joy in her stunned expression. She had mentioned it offhandedly a few days before, and though he knew she wasn't expecting him to get her anything, he wanted her birthday to be special. He wanted it to be a day that she would remember._

_Rin smiled at her lover, feeling a bit flustered._

"_Oh! Sesshomaru, you really didn't have to—"_

"_Just open it." He spoke, cutting her off elegantly. _

_She tenderly took the box from his hands, blushing slightly as his gaze never faltered. With a shaky breath, she opened the container, blinking in confusion when she saw was what was in it. She looked back up to Sesshomaru, asking him with her eyes what it meant._

_The formerly cursed male simply reached inside, pulling out the small piece of jewelry and presenting it to her with a slight air of nervousness._

"_Rin." He spoke again, more firmly this time._

_The raven-haired girl fell back into her chair, her legs suddenly growing weak. Her eyes widened as she stared at the ring in his hands, finding that it had suddenly become a bit hard to breath._

_Sesshomaru moved down to her level, kneeling down on one knee and clasping her hands in his._

"_Will you marry me?"_

*

"Rin? Rin!?"

The raven-haired girl shook her head, blushing faintly. Her friend looked at her in wonder. He hadn't thought it was possible for the girl to be even _more_ spacey than usual.

"Sorry, sorry Shippo. I've just been a little . . .sidetracked lately." She mumbled, speeding up. "Look, I've gotta go pack, but I'll call you later, ok?"

He nodded as he watched her walk off, scratching the back of his head slightly.

Really, sometimes Rin could just be so . . .odd.

* * *

Rin opened the door to her dorm room, breathing slightly heavier than normal. After a quick look around, she discerned that her roommate was not in. She sighed in slight relief, remembering that she had already left earlier today. The raven-haired girl took a moment to compose herself, shaking her head slightly to rid herself of the memories that were causing her so much pain. Why was she being so reminiscent today? She should know better than to get her hopes up.

"Stupid..." She muttered to herself, striding over to her desk.

She sat there for a moment, resting her head in her arms.

She bit her lip, her eyes glancing to the bottom drawer of the furniture, wondering if it would be okay to just _glance_ at what was inside. She knew that she was torturing herself, and after the last letter she had received, she knew that going through the others would do nothing to pacify her. Regardless, she reached down, sliding open the compartment and slowly reaching in, pulling out one of the three envelopes that lay inside. She ran her eyes over the white paper, taking it all in, before once again reopening the letter and reading fervently.

**My dearest Rin,**

**I miss you. I wish that I could be with you **

**at this moment, but for now, we must communicate **

**like this. I assume you'll be glad to know that I have**

**been successful in my endeavors, and am currently **

**employed, though I still understand little of this new **

**world. I hadn't left the mansion for centuries **

**. . .everything is very different. If you're wondering **

**how I managed to find a job without going through **

**any proper training, the answer is this: an old historian **

**hired me to work for him, because I had, as he said, **

**'An uncanny amount of knowledge about the past'. **

**(most likely because I _lived_ it)**** When his small business **

**(he owned a family run bookstore) was going to be **

**bought out, the businessman doing the deal**

** commented that I had a very commanding air about me,**

**and I managed to talk them out of buying the store. **

**Not too long after, his company sent me an offer to **

**work as their negotiator, seeing as I am apparently **

**'very persuasive'. They pay well, though the job is **

**not something I am particularly interested in. But **

**nothing is too difficult or trying, if it will all**

**eventually get me back to you. I apologize if I seem **

**a bit too corny, I hope you don't mind. My deepest **

**apologies for having to make this short, but I'm sure **

**you'll understand. You have your own studies**

**to be doing, correct? I still have a lot to learn about **

**this new world, and if I don't want to go through any **

**unnecessary complications I will have to keep researching **

**until I understand everything there is to know.**

**I hope to see you soon.**

**- Sesshomaru**

The college student raised her hand to her eyes, wiping away a few stray tears that had managed to fall. When she had first received this letter, such relief flowed through her that the only thing she could do was weep. After months of not hearing a word, this was more than enough to relieve her stress. She had been so worried, and every night she fell asleep wondering what had happened. After she had gotten over most of the shock, Rin wrote back immediately. Her hands were shaking as she mailed it, and all her friends were extremely curious as to who Rin's 'secret lover' was. She refused to speak anything about it, however, settling for attempting to make everything seem as if it were normal again. And, after an agonizingly long period of time, another letter came.

**My Rin,**

**I was glad to receive your letter. It makes me seem as if **

**you're here, with me. Things have still been going well, **

**though most human women seem unable to understand **

**the word, 'engaged.' You shouldn't worry though. No one **

**will ever be able to take your place in my heart. I went **

**and visited the mansion, a while ago. Things are the same, **

**for the most part. A few birds have begun nesting in the **

**statues, and more animals have returned to the forest. It **

**doesn't appear as if anyone has disturbed the property, **

**and for that I am grateful. I was looking into costs . . .**

**but that's a story for later. Back to the present, your letter. **

**This Shippo fellow, he is your new 'Kohaku', then? I'm **

**glad you've found new friends to be with, though I can't **

**say I'm not slightly jealous that they can be with you every**

**day and I am forced to communicate as such. My **

**employers keep trying to get me to purchase a 'cell phone', **

**though I just don't understand the practicality of **

**such an instrument. They are so small, surely people **

**lose them all the time, yes? Moving on, I'm getting very **

**close to saving up enough to reach my goal— we **

**spoke of it before I left? When that happens, I'll be able to see **

**you again. Once more, I apologize deeply, but I'm afraid **

**that I must stop here. Write me back.**

**- Sesshomaru.**

Rin had been a bit disconcerted at the shorter length of this letter at the time. But regardless, she was happy with any form of contact she had with the 'lord'. She hadn't physically seen him since she had graduated from high school, and that was three years ago. The letters had started shortly after her freshman year began, and though they were few and in between, she relished the simple meaning that they held. That he hadn't forgotten about her. That he still missed her. But most of all, that he wanted to see her again. Some may have thought her foolish for waiting so long, but Rin simply didn't see it that way. They kept in contact to the best of his abilities considering his limited knowledge of the world, and that was all she could ask for until she graduated. Even still, that didn't stop her for longing to see his face again. Though Rin knew that she'd be able to wait.

Sighing slightly, she turned and glanced at the clock, deciding that she had better start getting ready. She knelt down, groping around under her bed until she found the yellow and black patterned suitcase she intended on taking with her. She ran through her drawers carefully placing all the clothes inside that she would need. She packed plenty of warm clothes, knowing that snowfall tended to be heavy near her house. After a quick run to the bathroom, she placed all her toiletries in a separate case, fitting the small container neatly inside her luggage. Once all the necessities had been accounted for, she walked over to the miniature bookcase next to her bed, picking out a decent sized book that she had read seven times before. She grabbed the envelopes, staring at them for a moment, before tucking them carefully inside her purse. Once all that was finished, she shuffled over to her bed, falling down upon it unceremoniously. It had been a _very long day_.

She felt her eyes beginning to close, and as they fluttered shut she was unable to keep herself from the comforting tug of darkness.

*

"_Rin. Rin . . .wake up."_

_Rin's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up warily, looking around. _

_This definitely wasn't her bedroom. _

_She let out a soft gasp as she finally realized where she was, turning to look at Sesshomaru, who had an amused expression on his face. _

"_You fell asleep."_

_She looked around the room she was in, taking notice of the book lying forgotten beside her. They had been laying on his bed, each lost in their own stories of the fantastic adventures of the characters from the library. But what Rin was _more_ concerned about, was that the light had already faded from the horizon, and now pitch black descended the skies. The sun had probably set hours ago, and Rin found herself panicking. She'd never been in Sesshomaru's mansion for this long before, and though her parent's knew where she was--- (well, they knew she was at her 'boyfriend's' house, they just didn't know just _who_ this 'boyfriend' was.) she hadn't told them she'd be staying the night. _

"_Crap!" She exclaimed, jumping up. "I gotta get home!"_

_Before she could make a bolt for the door, however, her wrist was caught in a firm grip._

_She turned, looking at Sesshomaru's face in surprise._

"Rin_ . . ." He spoke, focusing his eyes on hers. He sounded a bit unsure, though his gaze kept strong. "Will you . . . stay with me tonight?"_

*

* * *

"We are now boarding gate C 17, gate C 17."

Rin looked towards the sound of the voice, realizing that that was_ her_ plane that was boarding. She hurried over to the gate, standing impatiently in the long line that led to her destination. She tapped her feet irritably, realizing that she wouldn't be completely satisfied until she was walking through her front door. Once the line had move up Rin walked over, showing the lady behind the podium-like structure her boarding pass, and sighing with relief one she was finally inside the large metal structure, through all the hassle of getting through an airport. Checking in your bags, the metal detectors, and even after all that she had almost gotten _lost_ before she finally found the right way to go.

Only once she was comfortably sitting in her seat, did she cautiously place her carry-on in her lap, pulling the last of the three envelopes she had yet to reread. It was the shortest of the letters, and also the one with the most meaning.

It was also the one that had taken the longest to come.

Rin wrote back to the previously cursed man, asking him questions about his experiences, wondering how he was doing, _anything _she could think of to get him to write back. The letters were the only solace she had, and when they stopped, she didn't know what to do.

Two years.

It seemed like forever, before the last, and final letter came in the mail. They had been corresponding back and forth every since her freshman year at college, but after that it just all . . . stopped. And then, two years from that time, another letter. It spoke few words, and even as Rin read it now she could feel herself growing anxious.

**Rin,**

**During your 'Christmas break', come back to the mansion. **

**Trust me.**

**I'll explain everything later.**

**-Sesshomaru**

Rin wasn't sure what the man was thinking though. The mansion was abandoned, ever since he had left, no one had set foot in it again. She knew this both from his previous letters, and from visits herself. She went back home every chance she got, holding onto the false hope that perhaps Sesshomaru would be back, would be there to _be _with her again.

She was always wrong.

And because of that, last year she hadn't bothered going to the mansion. It was . . . too painful.

But perhaps there was something she had overlooked, maybe they were selling it off, or finally demolishing the ancient structure.

The thought sent a shudder through her form.

That mansion . . . held so many memories. Though she and Sesshomaru had only been together for a short time before they had to part ways, every day she spent in his presence was a day well spent. Rin couldn't ever remember being more happy . . .

And he had said, 'later', right? Maybe . . . no.

He most likely meant through another letter. When would it come, she wondered?

Rin smiled politely at the man who sat next to her, waiting patiently for the plane to take off so that she would be able to see her family once more. The fact that she was going home had nothing to do with the letter, no, not really. At least, that's what she convinced herself to believe. She went home every year, but this seemed . . . different somehow.

With nothing else to think about, her smile grew slightly when she recalled the undoubtedly awkward occurrence of her and Kohaku's first— and last— date.

*

_They arrived at the movie theater around eight, just enough time for the two teens to grab popcorn and their own respective beverages, before hurrying to their seats. There was a slight air of nervousness settling between them, though both had entirely different reasons. Rin was trying to figure out how to explain to Kohaku that she was already in love with someone else, and that it was the so called 'beast' who lived in the 'abandoned' mansion behind the woods._

_She glanced nervously over to the youth, before turning back towards the big screen, forcing herself to calm when the lights dimmed, signaling the beginning of the film. _

_The actual movie passed without event, only a few popcorn-flinging fights broke out between the two, and conversation was kept to a minimum, thanks to the distraction of the movie._

_There was one occurrence, however, when they both reached for the popcorn in the same moment, their hands brushing together lightly. Kohaku had immediately flushed, pulling back with a stuttered apology. _

_Rin simply sighed, cursing herself for allowing this to go on any longer._

"_Kohaku . . ." She whispered, turning her head towards him._

"_I know, Rin." He spoke, his voice sounding a bit distressed. "I thought that if . . . that if maybe—"_

"_Shh!"_

_Both the teens turned to look at the anonymous person who had just shushed them, blinking in slight surprise as the sentimental moment was ruined. Deciding to just ignore the interruption and continue, albeit quieter, Rin said,_

"_I'm really sorry Kohaku. It's just . . . I don't have _those kind_ of feelings for you. I . . . I'm in love with . . ."_

_She stopped here, a small blush rising to her face. How would Kohaku take this?_

_She opened her mouth to continue, when she heard Kohaku let out a small chuckle. Her eyes looked towards him, widening slightly, before they narrowed, and she pouted. _

"_What's so funny?" She asked._

"_Let me guess. That, 'Lord Sesshymeyuu', right?"_

_Rin cracked a smile at the foreign interpretation of the name._

"_Uh, it's 'Sesshomar—"_

"_SHH!"_

_They turned behind them once more, before going on with their conversation._

"_Sesshomaru. And, how did you know?" She asked, a light blush tinting her cheeks._

"_Well, Rin, it's not like you know many other guys. And if it was anyone else, you would have told me _way_ before now." He looked at her with a critical eye. _

_She laughed sheepishly._

"_Yeah, I guess I—"_

"_God dammit, SHUT UP!"_

_Kohaku let out a shocked noise as a large sweat drop appeared on the back of his head. He turned, leaning close to Rin's ear, and whispered _very_ softly, "Er . . . we'll finish this conversation later."_

*

At the time, Kohaku appeared to be taking the situation well, though she could tell he was heartbroken. Regardless, after that, things became somewhat normal again. With the exception being, if Rin needed an excuse to go visit Sesshomaru, Kohaku was there to supply it.

* * *

"Rin, Sweety! I'm so glad you're back!"

Rin hugged her over excited mother tightly, a small grin on her face.

"Me too mom. Me to."

Her mother pulled back, looking endearingly at her daughter's now older face.

"Oh. You're so grown up ..."

Her mother wiped an imaginary tear from her eyes, before straightening, turning to the stairs behind them.

"Dear! Rin's here!"

"Hey dad!" Rin said as her father could be seen beginning to walk down the stairs.

"Rin! How's college life been treating ya lately?"

Rin laughed.

"Never better."  


* * *

After a few hours with her parents, reminiscing and eating a delicious lunch, Rin had politely excused herself, saying that she was going to see if any of her other old friends were home.

Which, in all actuality, wasn't exactly a lie.

Whisper forest was exactly as she remembered it, quiet, dim, and slightly dreary. The whole experience was so familiar, she felt herself smiling at the thoughts it rose. Everything seemed unearthly, as she prepared to once again step foot inside the ancient mansion still standing behind the gloomy woods. She found that she couldn't stop smiling as she followed the path she had taken so many times before, feeling thrilled just to be going this way again.

The grin grew slightly wistful as she recalled the day Sesshomaru and she had confessed their feelings. Everything had felt absolutely . . . perfect. And then, the strangest thing had occurred, leaving Rin in slight schock.

*

_After that first kiss . . .no. After he spoke of his love, something began to change. _

_A deep light shown within the demon lord, growing brighter with every passing second. Rin let out a small shout as she felt the man growing farther from her, and she desperately reached for him before realizing it was pointless. There was a low rumbling noise, before a voice, clear and strong, rang throughout the library._

'_**Lord Sesshomaru. You, in a cursed family were able to find love, and be loved in return. For this, I grant you freedom from the spell I wove so many years ago.'**_

_There was a shrill noise that sounded, and Rin was surprised none of the windows broke from the intensity of the sound. _

_And then suddenly it was over, and Sesshomaru was standing before her once more. _

_Though, he was . . .different._

_His once silver hair was now an extremely light color, almost a bit on the brown side. The magenta stripes adorning his cheeks and eyelids having disappeared completely. The claws that had graced his hands had shrunk, and his eyes were free of the intense coldness they held before. _

"_. . .Lord . . .Sesshomaru?" Rin breathed, shocked by his sudden change._

_He smiled at the woman in front of him, unsure of what to say._

"_Rin."_

*

She followed the familiar path to the mansion from memory, smiling when she saw the familiar structure looming ahead of her. She stopped at the gate for a moment, thinking to herself silently. What would be waiting for her behind these iron walls, she wondered. Though, she willed herself not to think of the only thing she wanted to see at the moment. She knew she would only be disappointed.

However, her feet didn't seem to register this thought as she slowly pushed open the gate, making her way to the door and opening it quietly.

Years without use gave it a loud creaking noise, and after she stepped inside it closed with the same groan of protest.

She turned, taking a look at the interior of the mansion for the first time, and loud gasp escaped her lips, as she noticed the extreme differences from the last time she had seen it.

The inside of the house completely lit up with luminescent light. _Electricity_, it seemed. Everything looked new, refreshed. Despite the new technology, Rin felt as if she were seeing how the home was when it was first built She gazed in wonder as she looked around more, noticing that the lanterns that had previously lined the walls were replaced with glowing light bulbs. A few switches were placed here and there, and the chandelier appeared to be wired to work through the light as well. She took a few steps inside, the new development leaving her feeling a bit flustered and disoriented. She followed the glowing radiance the short distance to the foyer, a slight suspicion guiding her towards it's once destroyed insides.

After a quick glance around she determined that her hunch was correct, as she noticed at once its perfection. The floor had been restored, all questionable stains gone. The stray pieces of wood and debris had all been cleared, and new furniture decorated the space, everything going wonderfully well with the original red and white theme.

She placed two hands over her mouth, staring at the newly finished room in wonder. Everything looked immaculate, and the mansion seemed a proud symbol of its former glory all those years ago. She sank to her knees, taking in all the alterations and changes, finding that tears were beginning to fall from her eyes.

Surely Sesshomaru had done all of this. And he would have done it by himself, as he wouldn't have wanted other people inside _his_ mansion. She felt a small smile grow on her face as she realized _this_ must have been what he wanted her to see. _This_ must have been why it took so long for him to write back, and why his last letter was so short. He wanted her to come and see _this_, this glorious accomplishment that he was sharing with her. Even if she still couldn't see him, couldn't be with him, for now, this was enough. She closed her eyes, running over all the wonderful memories she kept close to her heart. Their love was small, was frail, but it had lasted through the strain of their distance, and it would last until Rin was blessed with the opportunity to see him once more.

But, for now, she could wait.

Faintly, Rin thought she heard the sounds of footsteps.

She felt the feeling of being watched bore into her, and a slightly familiar feeling washed over her as she stood stark still in the newly refurbished room. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she willed herself not to move, not to ruin this moment of unbearable anticipation. Slowly, carefully, she allowed herself to turn, her eyes getting ahead of her line of vision as she strained to see what was approaching. She could make out someone's faint figure, and she turned suddenly, letting out a soft gasp.

Standing before her, was a handsome man, clad in a pristine suit with a navy blue tie, his tawny-colored hair pulled back into a long ponytail. He looked exactly the same, and yet entirely different. Neither of them spoke for a moment, and as realization washed over the raven-haired girl, she allowed a soft gasp to fall past her lips. There was a small smile on his face, and as Rin stared into amber-colored eyes, she couldn't help the tears that began to streak down her cheeks.

"S-Sesshomaru?" She whispered, taking a few steps toward him. He simply nodded, reaching for her as she came closer and pulling her towards him, wrapping his arms around the smaller female. She took him in, holding him tightly and relishing in his presence. She was unable to stop the sobs that racked her form every few minutes, but compensated for this by grasping him nearer, burying her face into his chest. She didn't ever want to let go. He set his head on top of hers, the smile refusing to leave his lips as he breathed in the smell that was simply _Rin_, closing his eyes as he savored the moment. He felt immense joy building up inside of him, the feeling of euphoria staying, and growing ever still as he held onto the woman he loved.

"Welcome home, Rin."

-------

**PLEASE READ: (you've read the whole story, you can stand to take a glimpse at this eensy teensy little note at the end. :D)**

Foxgirl: anyone catch that the flashbacks were moving backwards? or that the flashbacks were triggered by things happening to her currently? anyways, what did you think? satisfying ending? Did I forget to tie up a loose end? Yeah I realize Sesshomaru getting a job that way was a little farfetched... ok, it was a _lot_ farfetched. Sorry about that, it was all I could think of. :D if anyone thinks of something better, feel free to leave it in a review or pm. In fact, I implore you to. And sorry if you didn't understand something, I was kind of vague. I'll be happy to answer any questions though. I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for cutting the scenes with rin's parents and shippo short, but they weren't all that important anyways. XD And my _god_ this was a long epilogue!

vixen: you can say that again... review please.


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